Trader Joe's A Taste of Vermont Maple Syrup

Back again for the holiday season is Trader Joe's A Taste of Vermont Maple Syrup. However, this year in addition to less plastic in the packaging, they've also kept the price the same, however, it is now an organic product as well.

While it pretty much tastes exactly the same as in previous years, it remains a solid set to give or to expand your understanding of maple syrups and you can read my tasting notes below as they are pretty much the same as the last time I tried this.

It still remains a great holiday gift idea at an affordable price.

Here is the visual rundown of what you are getting for this holiday season:

The new box of Trader Joe's Taste of Vermont Organic Maple Syrup:

The nutritional facts, calories, and ingredient list:

How Trader Joe's describes this product:

The information below refers to the product offered prior to 2019, however, it is still consistent with the product now available:

Last year I picked up Trader Joe's Rainbow of Honey and absolutely adored it. It was beautifully presented and reasonably priced. Not only was the outside packaging well done, but the glass bottles were absolutely adorable. My only wish was that they sold the different varieties of honey separately.

Enter the Holiday Season of 2017. Not only have they taken the same successful principles of the honey, but now they have done it with maple syrup. There is one major difference that needs to be noted about storing honey compared to maple syrup. Once opened, you'll need to put maple syrup in the refrigerator. Maple syrup will go bad.

For $9.99 for 13.6 ounces of Vermont maple syrup, this is reasonably priced on its own. Throw in the packaging and it's a really good deal. All of these are Grade A maple syrup. As of March of 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture changed the labeling system for syrup so the same as international standards. Now all maple syrup is grade A where there used to also be a grade B. That is also followed by a flavor description and taste description. Grade A Light Amber is now Grade A Golden Color/Delicate Taste. Grade A Medium Amber is now Grade A Amber Color/Rich Taste. Grade A Dark Amber is now Grade A Dark Color/Robust Taste and lastly, Grade B is now Grade A Very Dark Color/Strong Taste. I was always a fan of Grade B maple syrup, but I think people were confused that it was a reference to quality. Realistically, what you are getting is all four grades of maple syrup in one package.

Other than the grading, there is no other tasting information on this package. That's where this review is picking up from. Here are my notes on trying each of the four syrups. I tried each with Trader Joe's White Corn Grits (yes, I'm a northerner. I like my grits on the sweet side).

Grade A Golden Color Delicate Taste- This tasted almost exactly like Trader Joe's Grade A Maple Syrup. It looked to be the same color and to me, it tasted almost the same. To be honest, this is a good thing because 1) that is my go-to maple syrup and 2) it means that if you really like this, you'll be able to enjoy the taste all year long (or at least as long as Trader Joe's keeps it on store shelves). Don't confuse the delicate taste for lack of flavor. There is nothing subtle about the flavor in this. It's good maple flavor with notes of vanilla. This was a very likable flavor.

Grade A Amber Color Rich Taste- This is another solid maple syrup. This is far less vanilla and truer maple flavor. I enjoyed it. I wished it was sold in a larger bottle.

Grade A Dark Color Robust Taste- This was jus a bit more intense than the amber color, but was still well done. It was a bit woodsy, but nothing that hid the maple and slight vanilla flavors here.

Grade A Very Dark Color Strong Taste- This was the last of the bunch that I tried. I was a bit intimidated by the color, but the taste was the most intense of the group. It also had a molasses taste to it in addition to a strong maple flavor. This has a roasted flavor to the maple syrup.

Overall, I liked this set a lot. There wasn't one variety I did not like. I loved the little glass bottles and will try to figure out a way to repurpose them. In fact, I love the book Gifts Cooks Love by Sur La Table. Perhaps I'll repurpose the jars for some homemade vanilla next year. If you are nowhere near a Trader Joe's, there are other ways of obtaining this if you need it in your life. Ebay is always a place to look and there are sellers on Amazon.com who are also selling this in case you are looking for it and cannot find it.

Here is the visual rundown of what you get if you buy this product:

The package of Trader Joe's A Taste of Vermont Maple Syrup:

The nutritional information and the ingredient:

Out of the package of Trader Joe's A Taste of Vermont Maple Syrup you get:

Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's A Taste of Vermont Maple Syrup again for myself or as a neat little gift for someone else in my life.

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!