Maple Syrup Grades Explained: Golden, Amber, Dark, Very Dark, and Pure Maple vs Pancake Syrup
A bottle of maple syrup can say “Grade A Golden”, “Grade A Amber”, “Grade A Dark” or “Grade A Very Dark”, and some still add “formerly Grade B” in small print. Next to it on the shelf sits pancake syrup, often in a similar bottle with a much longer ingredient list. This explainer walks through what the USDA grade standard says, why every retail bottle is now Grade A, where Grade B went, and how to tell pure maple syrup from pancake syrup by reading the label. The worked example is Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup, Grade A Dark Color Robust Taste.
How we wrote this: grade rules come from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (effective March 2, 2015). The definitions of maple syrup and table syrup come from FDA rules 21 CFR 168.140 and 21 CFR 168.180. Product details come from Coombs Family Farms. All were read in October 2026. We did not taste or lab test any syrup.
What makes a syrup “maple syrup” in the first place
Under the FDA standard of identity, maple syrup is the liquid food made by concentrating and heat treating the sap of the maple tree (Acer), or by dissolving maple sugar made from that sap in water. It must contain at least 66 percent soluble solids by weight, and those solids must come only from maple sap. The optional ingredients the rule lists are salt, chemical preservatives and defoaming agents, and any of them must be declared on the label. The name of the food is “maple sirup”, and the rule allows “syrup” as the spelling. Honey has no FDA standard like this one; for what the FDA says about naming it, see our raw honey vs regular honey labels guide.
The USDA grade standard builds on that definition. It describes maple syrup the same way and repeats the floor of 66 percent solids, measured as degrees Brix. Grading is voluntary, but it is the language nearly every bottle on a US shelf now uses.
What Grade A means
USDA Grade A is a quality level, not a color. To be Grade A, syrup must:
- have no more than 68.9 percent solids by weight (so Grade A sits between 66 and 68.9 Brix);
- have a good, uniform color that is bright and typical of maple syrup;
- have good flavor and odor, with a maple taste intensity normally associated with its color class;
- be free from off flavors and odors, cloudiness, turbidity and sediment, and be clean.
The standard allows no deviants for damage in Grade A. In plain terms, any bottle labeled Grade A has passed the same quality bar, whether it is pale gold or almost black.
The four Grade A color classes
Within Grade A, color and taste are paired into four classes. The class is set by how much light passes through the syrup, measured with a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 560 nm through a 10 mm cell and compared with reagent glycerol set at 100 percent. The result is written as percent transmittance, or %Tc.
| Color class | Taste term | Light transmittance (%Tc) |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Grade A Golden | Delicate | more than 75.0 |
| U.S. Grade A Amber | Rich | 50.0 to 74.9 |
| U.S. Grade A Dark | Robust | 25.0 to 49.9 |
| U.S. Grade A Very Dark | Strong | less than 25.0 |
That is why labels read like “Grade A Dark Color, Robust Taste”: the color class and its taste term travel together. Darker syrup lets less light through and, under the standard, is expected to taste more intensely of maple. The color does not rank the syrup from better to worse. It tells you how strong the flavor should be.
Where did Grade B go?
The current standard took effect on March 2, 2015, and it has no Grade B. Older bottles used names that no longer appear in the federal standard. Coombs Family Farms, for example, still lists “formerly Grade B” for its Dark Color, Robust Taste syrup, and says its early season Golden Color, Delicate Taste syrup is the one it “used to call Fancy”.
So if a recipe or a relative asks for Grade B, the closest match on today’s shelf is usually a Grade A Dark or Very Dark syrup. Check the taste term on the label: “Robust” or “Strong” points to the darker, more intense end of the scale. Coombs says chefs find its Dark Robust syrup “perfect for their recipes”.
Processing Grade and Substandard: not for retail bottles
Syrup that misses Grade A can still be Processing Grade if it has a fairly good maple taste and is fairly clean. It may have off flavors and may be any color. The standard limits it to containers of 5 gallons or 20 liters or larger and says it cannot be packed in consumer-size containers for retail sale. It goes into manufacturing other products instead. Syrup that fails even Processing Grade is Substandard.
For a shopper, the practical point is simple: a retail bottle of graded maple syrup should say Grade A, plus one of the four color classes.
Pure maple syrup vs pancake syrup
Pancake syrup is a different food under a different FDA rule. The standard for table syrup covers liquid foods made from one or more nutritive sweeteners with at least 65 percent soluble sweetener solids. It allows butter, edible fats and oils, emulsifiers or stabilizers, natural and artificial flavorings, color additives, salt and preservatives, among others. Allowed names include “Table sirup”, “Pancake sirup”, “Waffle sirup” and “Pancake and waffle sirup”.
One line in that rule matters most at the shelf: a table syrup cannot be named with the word “maple” alone. A syrup sold simply as “maple syrup” has to meet the maple syrup standard in every respect. A table syrup can contain some maple syrup, but the rule limits how much it can use, so that the finished food does not meet the maple syrup standard.
How to tell them apart in a few seconds:
- Read the name of the food. “Maple syrup” (often with “pure” or “100% pure”) is one standard. “Pancake syrup”, “table syrup” or “waffle syrup” is the other.
- Read the ingredient list. Pure maple syrup usually lists one ingredient, maple syrup, sometimes organic. A table syrup lists its sweeteners in order of weight, followed by items such as flavorings, colors or preservatives when used.
- Look for a grade. The USDA color classes apply to maple syrup. A pancake syrup will not carry “Grade A Amber” or similar.
- Watch for “maple flavored”. A flavor description is not the same as the name “maple syrup”. The ingredient list settles it.
Neither choice is right or wrong. They are two different products made to two different rules, and the label tells you which one you are buying.
Worked example: Coombs Organic Grade A Dark Robust
Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup shows how the grade language reads on a real bottle:
- Grade line: Organic Grade A Dark Color, Robust Taste, with “formerly Grade B” on the brand’s product listing. Under the USDA table, that places it at 25.0 to 49.9 %Tc.
- Ingredients: organic maple syrup, as the only ingredient listed.
- Size and package: the 12 oz glass bottle we list. The brand’s retailer sheet also shows the Dark Robust syrup in 8, 16, 32 and 64 oz sizes and 5 gallon tins.
- Serving facts: the brand lists a serving of 1/4 cup (60 ml) with 200 calories and 53 g total carbohydrate.
- Certifications: the syrup is labeled organic, and the Coombs FAQ says all of its products are KOF-K kosher certified (see our kosher pantry guide).
What reviewers say
- The Daily Meal ranked this syrup third in its brand tasting, praising a molasses-like aroma and a rich flavor on waffles and on its own, though it found the texture fairly thin.
- Mashed included it in a comparison of grocery store syrups by sugar content and noted the family-run producer behind it.
Who it suits: cooks who want a stronger maple flavor for baking, glazes or oatmeal, and anyone who used to buy Grade B. If you prefer a lighter, more delicate syrup for drizzling, look for Golden or Amber on the label instead.
Which color class should you buy?
- Golden, Delicate: the lightest flavor. Suits drizzling where you want a mild maple note.
- Amber, Rich: the middle of the scale, between the lightest and the darker classes.
- Dark, Robust: a stronger maple taste that holds up in baking, sauces and glazes. Coombs lists its Dark Robust syrup as formerly Grade B.
- Very Dark, Strong: the most intense class. Coombs’s retailer sheet lists it only in 5 gallon tins, so it can be harder to find in small bottles.
All four are the same Grade A quality. Pick by flavor and use, not by color as a sign of quality.
Quick label checklist
- Name of the food: “maple syrup” or “pancake/table syrup”?
- Ingredient list: maple syrup alone, or several sweeteners and additives?
- Grade line: Grade A plus Golden, Amber, Dark or Very Dark.
- Taste term: Delicate, Rich, Robust or Strong, to match how you will use it.
- Seals: organic or kosher marks if those matter to you. Our Non-GMO Project vs USDA Organic guide explains what the organic seal covers.
- Serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel, explained in how to read a Nutrition Facts label.
FAQ
Is Grade A better than the old Grade B?
Not in the way the names suggest. Under the 2015 standard, every retail grade is Grade A, and the color classes describe flavor intensity. Syrup once sold as Grade B now usually carries a Grade A Dark or Very Dark label.
Does darker maple syrup mean lower quality?
No. The USDA standard sets the same Grade A requirements for all four color classes. A darker class means less light passes through the syrup and a stronger expected maple taste.
Can pancake syrup contain real maple syrup?
Yes. The FDA table syrup standard lets it use maple syrup as one of its sweeteners, in an amount limited so that the finished food does not meet the maple syrup standard. It still cannot be named “maple” syrup alone. Check the ingredient list to see what is in a given bottle.
What is Processing Grade maple syrup?
Syrup that does not meet Grade A but is fit for manufacturing other foods. It may only be packed in containers of 5 gallons or 20 liters or larger, so you should not see it in retail size bottles.
Does “pure maple syrup” allow other ingredients?
The FDA standard lists salt, chemical preservatives and defoaming agents as optional ingredients, and they must be declared on the label. Many bottles, including the Coombs syrup above, list maple syrup as the only ingredient. An FDA final rule published October 13, 2026, on salt substitutes in standardized foods, also amends this section; it does not change the USDA grades.