Missed this thread until now somehow.
This year’s contenders for the title for me, listed in order of ripeness, are:
Jefferis
Dyer
Hubbardston Nonesuch
Jonagold
Macoun
King of Tompkins County
Northern Spy
Blue Pearmain
Ashmead’s
Idared
I am surprised how far up on your list you have Hubbardston Nonesuch, it is a late apple. It is good to see someone else likes it, that apple defines its own category of taste and texture and is well worth growing for that reason. The aromatic flavor is not exactly rose petals but it is close to that kind of flavor … not your normal apple! It is closely related to Abbondanza having fruited both of them for over ten years now. I go back and forth on which of those two is my favorite but I had a truly fantastic late hanging Abbonzanda this year which has swung the pendulum in that direction. Both of these apples vastly overset and are not as good if not thinned ruthlessly.
Dyer, Hubbardston Nonesuch, Jonagold, Macoun, and King of Tompkins County are somewhat interchangeable in the order I pick them – all in late September/early October. The first year Hubbardston and Westfield, named for two fine old Massachusetts towns I have visited, both bore fruit, I picked them at the same time much later in October. Since then I’ve picked Hubbardston earlier and earlier, and I’ve been more pleased with result.
Revive the thread? Any changes for anyone? Hard to say for me. I don’t know what the ones I like the most are called also the trees on the farm take turns on which is best what year… I like Baldwin and Macoun a lot.
@DowneastApples click the little arrow in the upper right corner of the linked comment box and you’ll see the whole comment. “What is app” leads me to believe you’re just seeing the preview. The answers to your other questions are further down in the comment.
I grow Honeycrisp, and they are alright, I have had worse apples, but agree on the flavor. nice looking apple, but i am going to graft that tree over with other apples of more distinguished flavor.
They responded to emails, so hopefully all is OK. I can understand it’s been cold lately.
(Glad there is no more freezes in our 14 day forecast though!!!)
This discussion so far deals with many apples that the average city resident will never be able to taste. Even you lucky people who have access to all of these unusual varieties probably can’t store most of them into late March or April. For me the best apple that I can buy now at a major grocery store is Pink Lady. It has the right combination of sweet and sour for my taste buds and retains its firm, crisp texture better than any other apple that I’ve tried. It’s far too hard when it first appears in December, but I’m usually still eating my own apples then.