ollie's apple reviews

based on quality for munching

Cosmic Crisp

A balanced apple, not too intense, juicy in the mouth but not in the hand
As crisp as you'd expect throughout the whole apple
Skin is unnotable when washed though definitely less tough than a Pink Lady
Very close second-favourite apple to the Braeburn; its only drawback is that it is slightly more limited in availability

Braeburn

A mix of sweet and tart, incredibly juicy. Flavour isn't too intense, stores well at rtp. for longer periods
Notably less consistent of an apple than many newer varieties - flesh varies from notably mealy to firm and crisp
Skin is thin and provides no interference to the rest of the apple experience
Personal favourite apple

Gala

Another glorious New Zealand apple. Very sweet, very juicy; frequently I find myself needing to wash my hands midway through eating one
Flesh is crispy all the way through; more resistant to tear than a Pink Lady but still munchable
Skin is slightly thicker than that of a Braeburn, but otherwise unnotable

Jazz

A Braeburn x Gala cross.
A bit more tart than sweet, flesh is unpleasantly dense and feels like biting into a rock, but has respectable crispness
The finer notes of the flavour are hard to set apart but certainly quite varied
Skin is on the thinner side, but has a slight taste to it on surface bites

Pink Lady

A popular apple for good reason - a good Pink Lady will always be a good pick of an apple
Flesh is crispy and provides good crunch; large chunks easily tear off for apple-eating experience. Juice is sweet and plentiful, taste is a perfect mix of both sweet and tart
The Pink Lady's only drawback is its thicker skin than many other apples - this is especially notable on first bite when a larger chunk of apple surface area is taken out, though is negated in subsequent bites

Smitten

Another Braeburn x Gala cross.
Quite dense and somewhat thick-skinned, but also crispy and bursting with juice - the juice is very sweet and makes quite an enjoyable apple for munching - would recommend if you see any lying around

Crimson Crisp

Rather tart apple with a sweet aftertaste
"Crisp"-ness implied by the name is to be debated and so is "crimson"; this apple is half-yellow and the flesh tears off in large chunks, though its consistency in the mouth is much softer than it is on initial bite - I'd compare it to around a mealier Braeburn
Juice is plentiful, though less messy than a Gala or Braeburn
Skin is slightly thicker than a Braeburn, maybe around the same consistency as a Gala - non-notable for the most part

Granny Smith

Very tart but unsophisticated, offering little other than sourness. Skin is tough and unpleasant, flesh feels like biting into a rock on the first few bites.
Always a miserable experience, I finish the apple in the name of science only

Unidentified Red Apple

Incredibly, unbelievably shit of an apple.
Flesh was mealy and deeply unplesant
Taste was lacking entirely; juice is nonexistent, I finished the apple more dehydrated than I started it.
So bad it required a Pink Lady as a palette cleanser

Fuji

Needs re-review. Skin is tough enough that I prefer peeling and cutting these, flesh is sweet and juicy
Oxidises quite quickly when left standing, though browned sections of flesh are still quite pleasant

Red Delicious

I haven't had a red delicious since I was 4 but I just remember it was mid as hell

Backlog

none

Plan on Trying

Smitten, Red Pop

Goals

Try every Braeburn x Gala cross: Smitten, Sweetie, Jazz, Envy, Kanzi