The flavour and colour of maple syrup change as the season matures because, as with the different types of sugar, its natural composition changes. The result is that syrup made at the beginning of the season tends to be clear and less sweet, while syrup made later is darker in colour with a more pronounced caramel flavour.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for the federal system of syrup classification. These classification standards designate the following 4 syrup types:
