A local producer in Hillsburgh, Ontario, has received international recognition as the 2026 maple season opens. Elliott Tree Farm’s Early Harvest Golden Maple Syrup (marketed as Golden Harvest) was ranked 17th on TasteAtlas’s “Top Syrups in the World” list (TasteAtlas list updated Feb. 6, 2026).
The farm’s owner, Derek Elliott, says the award-winning syrup is made from the very first run of sap collected during the winter thaw. “Our Early Harvest Golden is special because it’s the very first run of the season. It’s light, delicate, and represents the absolute purest expression of the tree’s sap after a long winter,” Elliott said. The farm and its product are described by the producer and reviewers as having a light, delicate flavour with hints of vanilla that distinguish it from darker, grocery-store blends.
Local officials in the Town of Erin expect the global ranking will bring more tourists to the community this spring. Elliott Tree Farm is a popular regional destination and is also home to the Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario (the museum was relocated from St. Jacobs and is now on-site), which displays indigenous, pioneer and early-modern artifacts used in traditional syrup production.
The farm manages approximately 2,500 taps and processes sap on-site using a traditional wood-fired evaporator. Families can taste the world-ranked syrup beginning February 14, 2026, when Elliott Tree Farm opens its 2026 Maple Syrup Experience, featuring pancake brunches, sugar-shack tours and tastings.
