MAIA test 14 *

This apple is past its prime, with a bit of give and some small wrinkles on one side.

Nonetheless, my approach is to taste first and hope for a better sample next year.

There may not be a next year for this apple, as it is under development by the Midwest Apple Improvement Assiciation and is not guaranteed to make the cut.

But if "test 14" does make it into an orchard near you (with a catchier name), then you read about it here first.

This large oblate apple has an orange red blush over yellow. The blush is streaky: in this case that mostly means it varies in saturation, going from translucent to opaque, rather than showing distinct streaks of color.

It has a thin stem and and open calyx, and is decorated with many small tan lenticel dots.

Inside 14

14 has medium-grained light yellow flesh and is on the sweet side. Its crunch is very good despite those signs of age, but with a refined rather than an explosive quality. The texture reminds me of a GoldRush in the late winter or spring.

This apple's flavors are first rate, both fruity and floral with some spice. The sweetness is set off by a dollop of citric acidity, and there is some pear.  Though it is hard to unpack I think there is a generic berry note in the mix too.

Hard to say if the flavors are normally this tightly wound, or if time has muddled them, or I am slipping. In any case there is also something happening on what I think of as the vanilla-banana axis.

Based on the very good eating quality in the face of signs of age, I am going to guess this a real keeper. Maybe it will earn a name, and a place in orchards, when all is said and done.

"Banana Axis" would be a good name for a band.