University of Minnesota, bred from, among others, Transparent and MacIntosh and released in 1979-
I was really surprised to be able to try this apple this early, although Transparents ripened a week or two ago here. It was good -and might be better in a few more days. The texture/density are a lot like Transparent’s but it was juicier and, to my mind, much more flavorful. It’s a pretty scarlet color and globular/conic. I only have one branch on my frankentree but it is generous. The stems are short and it clings to the branch. The one I picked had been hit by crows (or I would not have tried it yet) and none of the fruit have dropped yet. It’s said to be a fairly good keeper for such an early apple.
This might be a worthwhile choice for the short season, hard winter grower. Keep in mind that it is very fireblight susceptible and leans towards biennial bearing, but I’ll let you read the rest for yourself if you like: