Maple Syrup Fest winners announced

Event organizers recently announced the winners for the maple syrup judging contest held at the 12th annual Phelps Maple Syrup Fest on April 1.

The contest boasted 32 entries from all over Wisconsin and the Midwest. Entries were evaluated on density, clarity, flavor, color and container.

Hansen’s Sugar Bush of Merrill received the award for winning Maple Syrup of the Year.

Category winners are as follows: golden color and delicate taste, Primrose Maple of Elkhart Lake; amber color and rich taste, CVF Dairy of Sturgeon Bay; dark color and robust taste, Hansen’s Sugar Shack of Marshfield; and very dark color and strong taste, 10 Acre Black Maple Syrup of De Pere.

The celebrity tasting judges included NBC Channel 12 Meteorologist Devin Biggs and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture’s Alice in Dairyland Taylor Schaefer.

Organizers said the celebrities had a wonderful time engaging with the audience while tasting each of the unique syrups and picking out the underlying flavors.

For more information on Phelps Maple Syrup Fest or other Phelps-area happenings, call 715-545-3800.