For what it’s worth, looking at your original post, I think the Akane apple I had for the first time this year has excellent flavor. It has Jonathan as a parent, which is one of the best apples I’ve ever had, so it makes sense that Akane is delicious. It’s more disease resistant than Jonathan, I’d highly recommend it. I actually wonder why it’s not talked about more on this forum!
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Another apple that I think could fit this description is Topaz / Crimson(R) Topaz.
Tried them for the first time this year from a local orchard in Central Virginia and was impressed. When fresh, they reminded me a lot of Jonathon but with more emphasis on the tartness.
After aging on the counter a month it gets sweeter but is still very spicy, (I get notes of vanilla followed by a very faint strawberry-kiwi flavor mixed in with the apple’s flavor at that time).
Fresh I would compare it to Jonathon for folks that like a slightly more tart leaning apple. After aging, I find it more interesting/superior to Jonathon in every way (and Jonathan is a very respectable apple to my taste buds).
Of the 40+ apple varieties I’ve tasted this year, this is one of the few modern ones (the others being Razor Russet and Goldrush) that have really impressed me. If it were a “prettier” looking apple than it is (very squat and even a little warty) I imagine it would be a lot more popular.
If only I could find it on M.111 I’d get one for the last space I have planned for an apple tree in my yard.
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The only widely commercially produced tart apple is Granny and to my palate is it more unripe than tart. The only ripe Granny Smiths I’ve eaten have been on trees in Dec. when they can get really good to my palate. It requires a warm autumn in my climate to get to this stage.
If there was more commercial demand for tart apples, more would be bred, I figure- but corn sweeteners have brainwashed many palates.
I detest subacid peaches as grown in NY. The nectarines can be really good as sub-acid fruit, as long as the brix gets above about 20 according to my own tastes.
I have cinnamon spice, but all of my trees are young so I will report back if and when I ever get to try one of the apples.