In a good year, Gillilan may produce only 400 gallons of syrup. He attributes his success to boiling his sap the day it's collected, so the syrup retains that fresh maple flavor, and to scrupulously clean equipment, which minimizes bacteria. The right combination of warm and cold, combined with moisture from an occasional storm, creates an ideal maple syrup season. Sap is taken to a sugar house where it is boiled in large evaporators to remove water. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup, and this is one of the reasons why maple syrup ain't cheap.
Maple syrup is divided into four grades.
It is usually from the first run of the sap, though technology has now made it possible to obtain Fancy at the end of the run as well. Fancy has a subtle maple flavor and gentle bouquet. Maple syrup may be compared to wine in that each harvest of sap is akin to a grape vintage. When the weather is right, more Fancy is produced. Warmer weather produces darker sap, which means more Grade A Medium Amber maple syrup.