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I don't know how large these generally get, but my Limbertwigs (named for bendy, droopy branches) are on the small side of medium, stock sturdy Hobbits of the apple world.
They are just a little oblate, with ruddy red cheeks over a light spring green.
There is considerable iridescent russet and also a fair amount of sooty blotch. One sample has a patch of the black microdots known as flyspeck. (This cosmetic blemish has nothing to do with flies.)
Many orderly tiny white lenticels are clearly visible in the blush. These are tactile, little rough bumplets. Off the tree for weeks if not months, Limbertwig is rock hard and promising.
Biting in unleashes dense, fine-grained flesh that is wonderfully breaking crisp, white shot with green highlights. These have a lovely floral quality, balanced but favoring cane-sugar sweetness.
The texture is a little dense, like that of a very fresh russet before it has time to mellow, though lacking the pear notes. There might be just a touch of vanilla and also table grapes.
This Limbertwig is flavorful though not terribly juicy.
This is a high-quality apple and one that I think would be generally pleasing even given the modern obsession with juicy sugar bombs.
Excuse me, I do not mean to come off as a snob over this very democratic fruit. I just think most people, if they ever got to taste the Limbertwig, would like it. Some would like it a great deal. I do.
Limbertwig is the name for a whole cohort of apples that originated in Appalachia. There are a score or more, all with similar flavor and Limbertwig in the name.
It may also be the name of a particular Limbertwig. I can't tell you which one I've got, but wouldn't mind trying them all.
Update: Further information from the grower suggests this is a variety known as Old Fashioned Limbertwig. I have made appropriate edits to this post.
Further update: In the comments, a reader doubts this is the Old Fashioned Limbertwig. It might be the Red Limbertwig, he suggests.
I grafted a Swiss Limbertwig onto rootstock last spring. It was one of my fresh eating choices due to its color and looks description (hey, you have to start somewhere with so many good sounding options). The taste sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI don't see it on your review list, so I'll have to send you some samples once it starts to produce.
@Copper, that is generous, thank you!
DeleteThis is my first of the Limbertwigs, and I wold not mind trying more sometime.
I have the start of a rather large Limbertwig collection and so far consider the Myers Royal, the Red Royal and the Kentucky to be the best tasting . Have many other Limbertwig varieties yet to taste as my trees mature. Exciting times ahead. :)
ReplyDeleteI am not sure you have a genuine "Old Fashioned" Limbertwig. Which tends to be a large apple. Med-large at smallest.With a very rough skin. Also yours in the pic is a bit light colored. The real McCoy has a dark ruddy, dull red color. Unfortunately many folks incorrectly label "Red Limbertwig" as "Old Fashioned". Your sample does match the description of "Red Limbertwig". There are a lot of bad synonyms in apples though.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dannytoro1. Your last an understatement, I think!
DeleteWestern WI: I also think this looks like ‘Red Limbertwig’. I just visited the heritage orchard at The Seedsavers Exchange last weekend and ran across a tree that was loaded with fruit. Upon tasting, it was unripe, but had a similar taste to unripe keepers that I like (Ashmead’s Kernal, GoldRush). It was unnamed. I wrote to the orchardist telling her about the tree, and she’s written back to say that they had it DNA tested and it appears to be ‘Red Limbertwig’. The tree was so loaded with apples that all of its branches were on the ground, poor thing. I couldn’t understand how it hadn’t split. Now I know. Since my source of Gold Rush has disappeared, I may go back for more. . .
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