What kind of apples?

[Archie]

Hey all,

I made an Apple Cinnamon Christmas Ale last year, and to my dismay the apple and cinnamon flavors were not pronounced at all. Here's the basic ingredient list I used:

• 6 lbs. Amber LME
• 1 lb. Light DME
• 1.5 oz. Ultra Hops (boiling)
• 6 Cinnamon sticks
• .5 oz. Ultra Hops (finishing)
• 1/4 tsp. Irish Moss
• 8 Medium Red Delicious Apples
• 1 pkg Dry Wine yeast

I brought the extract to a boil, then added the hops, chopped apples and cinnamon. I left the apples and cinnamon in the primary for two weeks as well, then transferred to secondary.

Now this batch was made last November. Two months ago I had the last bottle (I always keep a six pack or so for posterity) and thought I tasted a little bit of apple flavor, but not a single bottle of the batch had a well-pronounced flavor. Should I up the number of apples, change the type of apples, add more cinnamon, add everything earlier (steep the apples), add everything later (into fermenter), use cinnamon powder instead of sticks, or just give up and put an apple in the bottom of my pint glass or amber ale and sprinkle cinnamon on top?

What types of apples and/or cinnamon have you used?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Arch