Best appel you ever press and taste in a cider - Holy Grail quest

[doublejef]

For those who have tasted single-variety cider or pressed a single type of apple to make cider, have you ever come across that perfect, mind-blowing apple?
If not, what's your favorite one — the apple you’d always want to have in your orchard or in your glass?


For me, it would be Cwastresse — a dessert apple that you can only find in my region. It’s very sweet and delicious on its own. When used in cider and allowed to age, it produces a very intense, aromatic drink with fruity notes of apple, pear, peach, and apricot, beautifully balanced in acidity and tannins, and wonderfully complex.

 

[mashdar]

I really like Porter's Perfection, enough that I have a couple grafts of it in my otherwise edible apple yard. It is growing great despite sub-optimal light.

Golden russet is a great, edible sharp.

 

[Maylar]

Single varietal ciders depend very much on where you are. I would love to try some Dabinett, which were bred for that purpose. UK cider makers also lean heavily on the Kingston Black crop (bitter sharps).

Here in the US, Winesap and Fuji work well. Might need some tannin or acid adjustment. There's a local orchard that makes a Golden Delicious cider sweetened with local wildflower honey. They took Gold at GLINTCAP with it.

 

[mashdar]

If you're looking to grow it, skip Kingston Black. I don't know much about growing apples, but I know that one's a nightmare.

Edit: To elaborate, it is very hard to train/prune (it wants to grow in a strange, sparse habit), is highly susceptible to basically all major apple diseases (be prepared to spray a ton), and is slow to bear.

But I hear it makes nice cider, which I guess is why anyone puts up with it.

 

[madscientist451]

Ashmead’s Kernal

 

[Chalkyt]

A bit mundane sounding but I have had success with straight Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and a blend of Golden Delicious with 20% Granny Smith. A little bit of fiddling with Malic Acid (not really necessary when Granny Smith is involved) and Tannin (powder or tea) makes a great "summer cider".