‘An intense caramelised toffee flavour’: the best supermarket maple syrup, tasted and rated

The useful part

I avoided blended or maple-flavoured syrups for this test, and instead tried only 100% pure, grade-A maple syrups, using Agriculture Canada's flavour wheel and four-step tasting process as a guide. Then I followed the tasting process: I smelled the syrup with three quick sniffs, took a small sip and swirled it around my mouth before contemplating the flavours. Alongside appearance, aroma, texture and taste, I awarded extra points for specific provenance and organic certifications, as well as for value.

How it works

• Prices vary greatly, and although the dearest bottles taste divine, so do the cheapest.
• Like wine, maple syrup has the tang of its terroir: it's an artisanal product that tastes of the land.

Details worth keeping

Which supermarket syrups ooze with potential? We put 10 of the finest, grade-A bottles to the test • The best supermarket runny honey Though today's maple syrups vary dramatically in intensity, complexity and taste, they're all of decent quality and have that classic and unmistakable flavour. I poured a small shot into a glass to observe the colour.