Taste in apples can certainly vary. The Honeycrisp off our trees this year had some bug damage, and sometimes bad spots, but we’re quite tasty and definitely enjoyed. The apple in the store I just dont get, based on the five or so times I’ve tried them is Opal. Golden Delicious packs so much more flavor…but then those are home grown. I know no one is getting Opal off their own tree though, so I really don’t know if I’ve just got duds, or if the variety itself is just not my type.
Now Ambrosia is another story, I like that one, as well as Envy. I loved the pear like flavor in Envy.
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I love my HC. I have many trees and they are one of my favorites, if not my favorites I grow. I will say some years are better than others. I can also say, that the description givin about juicy without flavor has also been my though on a couple of years. Other varieties that some rave about really have no taste out of my orchard. Zestar does well too and taste very good.
It’s all about location, location and weather and weather.
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If you like a flavor reminiscent of euro pear in your apples, then go out and get a Suncrisp.
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I’ll be very happy when I start getting a good crop from these. Right now only a few. I think these will be my families favorite.
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With the amount of HC bred apples coming out HC may lose its crown soon enough. I think Stark Nursery is selling three new HC crosses. With explosive crunch and sweetness.
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Cosmic Crisp -Enterprise x HC- is expected to make a big spash within a year or two.
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Like Fuji, gala, crisps pink etc. when you eat one that was grown right in the right place under the right conditions you will get it. Many people don’t care for some pears that can be really good for the same reasons, 1 out of 5 years at my place honeycrisp are pretty good. At my house I’ve grown them a long time now and I’ve never had them as good as some I’ve bought. The pears I can grow are better than any I’ve bought and that is all about weather, type of soil etc…
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Honey Crisp is not a consistent apple, which is not usually the case with common types. It needs to reach at least 13.5 brix to be sweet enough to be the Honeycrisp that topped the charts in America among consumers, if not apple connoisseurs. At many sites, many seasons it will top out at 12.5 around here, and that just doesn’t cut it. They are still crunchy and people like them, but they aren’t crave worthy. In my orchard they usually get huge and not sweet enough.
It isn’t expensive just because people will pay for it- it is also expensive because so many of the apples in a commercial orchard go to waste- some drop prematurely a lot get rot. It is a tough apple for many commercial growers so they wouldn’t grow it if they couldn’t get more per bushel.
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Honeycrisp made its reputation on being crisp and sweet. It is definitely crisp and sweet. Tests have shown that Americans love crisp apples but I don’t care about crispness, and sweet apples are common, so Honeycrisp is not special to me. I understand that if you get a perfectly ripe Honeycrisp it will have good flavor, but I have eaten dozens of apples that had good or better flavor even when not perfectly ripe, so I’m not going to waste time searching for a perfectly ripe Honeycrisp.
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I’ve heard of Cosmic Crisp, it sounds interesting and I look forward to giving it a try when it comes out.
There is an apple that our local CostCo carries in the fall. I can never remember its name, but the apple carries a hint of cinnamon in it. Very tasty!
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I also have Scarlet Crush which is a cross between HC and Cripps Pink. On paper that should be a fantastic apple. But again it has not fruits yet. Hoping next summer will be my first opportunity to sample
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Raintree is already offering Cosmic Crisp trees limited to Washington State residents. I was tempted but opted not to buy one.
I use to work in produce at a high end store in Seattle. Washington has many great apple growers and we would usually get to taste the best varieties from the best suppliers. I can tell you that the overwhelming consensus was honeycrisp was the best apple available. You can get watery apples, but I would say even an average to good HC is better than most apples. I consdier a good tasting HC to have around 14 brix. Above that and they can be exceptional.
Everyone has different tastes. I no longer eat HC at all. It is so boring. I could name 50 apples better for fresh eating than HC without any effort at all. The basic problem with HC is that it just doesn’t have much flavor. To some people that does not matter, and some prefer sweetness over flavor, or even mistake sweetness for flavor.
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I’ve got a few young grafted trees of Suncrisp, and I’m really looking forward to it! Since some are on dwarf, the wait shouldn’t be too long. 
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People keep saying Honeycrisp is sweet. Around here they seem to be 11-12 brix more often than not. That is not sweet.
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Murky,
Per @Phill_Boise_7a, Washington State has produced high quality HC apples. I have had HC from my trees for about 4 years. Most years they have been very good.
Like every other highly praised apples (Goldrush, Ashmead Kernel, Opal), many like them while others don’t.
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My dwarf Suncrisp produced a few apples it’s first year. Not much more than a stick and I cheated and saved two. It seems to be quite the producer early on.
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Thanks for posting that Matt! Very interesting story.
I have never seen Ginger Gold apples in the store in my area but I would like to try the grocery store version from storage.
I like Honey Crisp apples but not enough to pay a big premium for them.
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Mauang,
I think your area grows very good fruit. The pears taste like they are grown very well.