Do you prefer Grade A or Grade B? If A, do you like Light, Medium or Dark Amber best?
I prefer Grade B because I like the darker color and more pronounced taste. (And luckily for some reason it is cheaper than Grade A, too). I wonder if there is common thread in my tastes: red wine, red meats, maduro cigars, full bodied porters and stouts, cheesecake – all strong flavored stuff.
Remember, the grades were established when sugar was harder to get. Maple syrup was often used in cooking, and you didn’t want your chocolate cake to have a strong maple flavor. Thus, Grade A has less maple flavor than Grade B.
I do prefer Grade B because it has more maple flavor. It’s cheaper because – well, it’s grade B, so people think it’s inferior. The color doesn’t matter when I do get Grade A (which is easier to find).
Definitely Grade B. I like to use maple syrup to sweeten my coffee. I could understand not wanting to have a strong maple flavor in baked goods, though.
B, definitely. A grade is more expensive and not as maple-y.
Where do you get Grade B anyway? The local supermarkets only carry grade A.
That’s cause you’re in Alabama. Move to Canada or the northeast US. 
Trader Joe’s for me.
Grade B. Definitely Grade B. So yummy on blueberry pancakes. OK, now I miss Vermont.
Grade B or lower for me. My father in law makes his own in Vermont, and it usually comes out in the B or C range. It’s great, but way too strong for cooking. Evidently this has been a pretty poor season for syrup so far, so stock up now before the prices go up.
How low does the grading go? When does it start containing wood chips?
Huh–I figured I was unusual in preferring B. I once naively brought A, thinking it’d be even better, and was really disappointed; I’ve never tried that again.
I don’t eat maple syrup very often, due to its cost, but my God that’s some good stuff. Start a church that uses maple syrup as the sacrament, and I’ll join up.
Daniel
B for me. I need to find some good grade B in a HUGE container. Our quart of A (it was fall, couldn’t find B) is about 1/2 gone, and I lurvs me some good VT (or NH) Grade B.
I come from a “Aunt Jemimia household”, but was converted when I met my wife… one year at a Mother’s day brunch, my dad asked…
“What’s in this maple syrup??? It’s GREAT!”
I replied “Maples?”, he didn’t understand at first, and the inlaws looked in horror that I’d have answered that way to my dad. Pretty standard though, Mom thought salt & pepper were exotic spices, and Dad & my brother always seem to eat more, and enjoy it more when they eat at my house. 
(Isn’t that the dream of all? To cook better than Mom? In my case, super easy though… almost disapointing.)