My parents made maple syrup for many years after they retired. I love it, better than any commercial syrup. They made the syrup for themselves, so it was made to high standards. I found that early season syrup was lighter and better tasting, late season was darker and stronger flavor. Early season went on food, late season went in cooking. Since they passed I have bought it at stores, roadside stands, anywhere I could find it, none tasted as good as theirs. Recently I found some at Save-a-Lot and Aldis that is quite good, but only the stuff in bottles that I can see through, if the bottle is opaque the tend to fill it with the dark stuff which is only good to add to baked beans.