After 3 years of waiting, had my 1st Monark apple today and thought I’d share my initial thoughts on this fine summer apple. Monark is on the right and Pristine, which is also ripening now for me is on the left.
Taste: Nice overall flavor but not complex as ribs1 has stated, the flavor kinda reminds me of King David. Most online comments rate it a tart apple but my 1st sampling did not have near the zip or tarness of Pristine. That may have to do with me picking a little early, not sure.
MonArk pros and cons so far:
Pros: The fruit has a nice crisp flavor, above average size and a pretty red color. MonArk is grower friendly so far, the 1st crop is very clean in spite of few fungicide sprays, also no sign of fireblight and tree is well behaved and easy to manage.
Cons: Not many, just a step down in taste from its summer competitor - Pristine.
