I wasn’t as good about logging stuff this year, the deer got me down. I had some really great apples which I didn’t bother to label when I picked them so I don’t know what they were… ah well, there is always next year! I am already making plans for better deer control.
Early Joe - A nice early aromatic apple, small but good.
State Fair - An early fruity apple, also good
American Summer Pearmain - Has that unusual “creamy” apple flavor like e.g. Rambour d’Automne etc. Is not setting well though. Also not sure its that interesting flavor-wise. Remove.
Cherryville Black - A nice nutty-flavored early apple with few problems. Small.
Golden Nugget - My new tree is finally producing. This is a fantastic early russet, it has few problems other than perhaps a little water core. Tastes very similar to later russets but fruits look a lot better!
Zestar - These need to hang a long time and they are super-fruit-candy flavored. Not my favorite flavor profile but awesome to some people. Prone to rots.
Jefferis - Had set a lot last year so only got a couple this year. It is a good early apple but too prone to mealiness.
Adams Pearmain - A very tasty nutty apple. Too many rot problems but its unique so I am keeping for now.
Steeles Red - a milder version of Wagener, probably take it out.
Wagener - fruity like Zestar but more depth and creaminess in the flavor — keeper. Lots of problems with skin though.
Fall Pippin - Green when ripe apple. Decent eating and supposedly excellent cooking. Apples are flawless, no rots or anything on them. I don’t hear of many people growing this old classic, not sure why.
De l’Estre - sort of like Blenheim in taste but not as flavorful, less sweet, and going mealy. All-yellow and huge. Remove.
Reinette du Mans - I need to remove this one finally, its again rotting in a ridiculous way.
Blenheim Orange - Gosh this is a good apple! More!! It has a rich unique flavor. One thing good about it is you can pick it over a month or so and they are all good, the flavor just evolves. Few disease problems as well. I expect the unusual skin is the only reason its not more popular, it has a teeny weeny bit of russet and is not shiny at all. Non-shiny non-russet is very unpopular now; Cherryville Black has the same problem.
Reine des Reinettes - A fantastic aromatic apple and my new graft is more vigorous and making bigger and better fruits. A must-have! For eating either store or pick late. Not so many rot problems.
Gilpin - I had a too-early one that was bland. Seems like it could be a good sweet, it had few sours in it.
Pomme Gris - Only a few this year as its getting biennial. It was OK.
Reinette Gris Santoinge - A nice solid russet apple, not dry this year, tastes like Roxbury etc. Main plus is uniformly large sized fruits.
Swayzie - Finally getting fruit again on this great variety. It is showing the greatness I remember, a notch up from Pomme Gris.
Smokehouse - This apples main claim to fame for me is it produces a great load of nearly blemish-free apples every year. As an apple its a very nice apple as well. No anise or cinnamon or apricot or grape any of those “fancy” flavors, just a lot of apple in there.
Lamb Abbey Pearmain - A fine apple, something like Smokehouse but smaller. Nothing super great in the larger scheme of things.
Lady Sweet - Rich flavor in an apple with no sours at all. Definitely not for everyone though.
Clochard - Yet again lots of rots, yet again extraordinary flavor. This one I will just put up with the rots on, its uniquely rich.
Calville Blanc d’Hiver - got my first one of these, it rots really badly so probably should remove. I have plenty of other great cooking apples. It gets a year or two more though.
Bonne Hotture - I let this tree overset. Still producing nice apples, more sweet than anything else though. Deer took most of them.
Summer Queen - I harvested too late and it was boring. Not sure worth keeping.
Hooples - Deer got most but a few truly excellent ones.
Shizuka - This is just a big Golden Delicious, not too exciting. But super productive and reliable.
Swiss Orange - Excellent taste similar to Rubinette but far too much rotting. Very hard flesh. Probably get rid of it.
Spigold - Rotting too much but besides that it is excellent. Has that signature Northern Spy taste (grape-like to me) which is fantastic, not the strongest flavor but unique, very fruity and well-balanced. I am going to keep this tree in spite of the rot problems.
Oliver - This apple shows real potential, I only got a couple but they were showing great promise. Seems like it could be a great keeper and also good for cider - it has tannins and is more in the sub-acid range of acidity. Needs cellaring.
Magnum Bonum - Deer got nearly all but the few I had were very good. Its a rich savory apple, nice and crispy; skin a little too thick.
Wickson’s Son (my name for an unknown crab I got mislabeled) - Like Wickson but smaller and not cracking or rotting, also a lot more tannin. This is probably the best tannic apple I can grow, need to propagate more of it. Too sour to add a lot to cider mix but has enough tannins to make it worth adding.
Suncrisp - Wow, awesome again. GD on steroids.
Apricot - Finally got a few fully ripened ones with the apricot flavor, very nice and unique. Hardness and texture is very similar to GoldRush. Tree is too weak, it needs a better spot. This apple needs some aging. One of my more promising apples this year.
GoldRush - my tree is a nearly completely alternate bearing pattern and it only had a dozen or so this year. Some were really good but some others were not so exciting, not sure why. Maybe I picked them a bit too early, I did a lot of that this year due to the deer.
Mutsu - having to pick these too early to get some from deer. They are not as flavorful as usual because of that.
Weisser Wintertaffetapfel - Nicely balanced but mild flavor. Had some watercore. Sort of like Wickson but without all the apricot etc flavors, and less acidic. Seems worth keeping a bit more due to its original taste not like others.
White Winter Pearmain - These are similar to Mutsu (and, they are related). This year the WWP were better, tasting more like a good Mutsu than Mutsu did.
Yates - I had to pick a bit early due to a hard frost coming but this looks to be an excellent cider apple - good tannins and not too sour, plus nice rich flavor. I am cellaring most of these for a few months.