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When a reader named Josh packed up a care package for me from his orchard in western Washington, he threw in Tompkins King (aka King) because I had said (in my 2013 review) that I would like to try it again.
This Tompkins is large, ribbed, and classically shaped, if a bit broad in the beam.
It's a naturally green apple almost entirely covered with a blush of very fine streaks, orange-red. Look closely to see many regular tan lenticel dots. It is firm and fragrant.
Inside, fine-grained flesh is breaking crisp, snow-white, and dense. Tompkins is not very flavorful or juicy, but is well balanced and pleasant with some spice notes. It is also generically floral.
Despite all this faint praise, Tompkins is good to eat. It finishes with a pleasant, vinous aftertaste.
I judge this Tompkins to be slightly better than the one I wrote about 6 years ago. Nonetheless, the two assessments are very like, and I am going to keep that earlier write-up as my "official" review (where it is called simply "King").
There's a little more information about this apple in the review, and an interesting discussion in the comments, if you are interested.
That is the most perfectly colored King I've met. When I arrived from Pennsylvania my bicylcle stopped many times at farmhouses along W.Washington valley roads. The main provider in late September was King (of Tompkin's Cty). I filled my panniers a few times rolling the Green River. They are not keepers, at perfection, very juicy, extremely greasy- especially as they age often rough-skinned(not russet but more like mildew scarring) flesh-breaking in unpredictable chunks, often with watercore. Drops for 3 months on account of some scab and popular with codling moth.
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