Autumn Crisp

A funny thing happened when I retasted this apple: some flavors changed, and some harshness declined.

Before 2009, Autumn Crisp was still an experimental variety known as NY 674.

A local grower planted some and dubbed them "Early Jonagold." That nickname was how I first knew them in 2011.

Since then, the variety has gone mainstream under its marketing name, Autumn Crisp. I saw plenty of them in supermarkets this spring.

The apple I tasted in 2011, despite its virtues, could never be popular enough for that. So here is a revised review (fresh from a local orchard).

A pretty red blush, slightly orange inflected, is variegated (notice the deep red stripes) and accented by tiny lenticel dots.

I have two attractive Autumn Crisp apples, medium and large, with thick stems. An underlying yellow peeps out where the blush is absent.

The apple itself is basically round, a little broad in the beam, with a very slight taper. A recessed calyx spans several degrees of openness, from partial to full. 

It has a sweet aroma.

Somewhat Crisp

The Crisp's flesh is only yielding crisp, a yellow-tinted medium-coarse grain. It is very sweet but redeemed by some balancing acidity.

Flavors are saturated, beginning with a floral note (violets or lilac) and ending with a savory hit of B vitamin in the aftertaste.

There are bananas and sugar in between, and a little spiciness.

These flavors are the same in both samples, but in the smaller one are stronger and exaggerated. With that apple, sweetness grows with each bite and becomes a bit much for me.

There is also an underlying harshness in both, though stronger in the smaller more-intense sample. It is a dialed-back version of the harshness I noted in 2011. 

That persistent savory aftertaste is not winning.

Peak Autumn Crisp

My 2011 samples did not display all of these flavors. They were also, unlike these, super crisp. 

So perhaps I have still not managed to taste a true peak Autumn Crisp, one with the flavor set and the texture.

Nonetheless, I assume today's apples are more generally representative of what people are likely to find. So, I am shifting my "apple review" designation from the older tasting to this one.

Picky reminder footnote: Though I often post multiple columns about a single variety, my rule is only one "official" review per apple. 

If you are especially interested in Autumn Crisp, please read 

• the original review, originally published as "Early Jonagold" in 2011
• my short post connecting the dots to "Autumn Crisp"

and especially, what my informed and passionate readers had to say in the comments on both.