Cider (the flavor)

In some of my apple reviews I say that an apple tastes cidery or has hints of cider.

Tasting cider in an apple is no great feat, nor is it descriptive since apple cider can comprise many different tastes.

I use this word to identify a narrow band of taste, rich and mellow, recalling sweet (not hard) apple cider. It is a flavor of many fine old varieties, such as Jonathan, Nodhead, Northern Spy, Black Twig, Baldwin, and Newtown Pippin, but also crops up in some newer varieties such as Enterprise.

It is very like the taste of a freshly bruised apple, rarely dominant, and always (in my experience so far) part of a mix of other tastes, never alone.

This flavor is broadly accessible, not challenging to enjoy and appreciate.