Apple review: Empire
Nov. 26th, 2018 03:32 pmI get to try Empire today, thanks to ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
captainsblog!
Specialty Produce doesn't bother getting flowery about it: "Its crisp and juicy flesh has a flavor that is sweet like a Red Delicious and tart like a McIntosh."
Adam's Apples goes into more detail: "crisp and juicy, though the crunch is just a tad soft. The sweet-tart balance is very good, more tart than that of Spartan, another McIntosh offspring that it in some respects resembles. Against this backdrop are some vinous notes with berries and (maybe) some spice."
In any case, it's a good-looking apple (smells nice, too!), and I'm eager to try one of the older, more respectable varieties rather than all this faddy stuff.
Verdict: Finally, an interesting apple! While mine were a touch soft (and a bit Red Delicious in texture, actually), the flavor was fascinating, very apple, but with just the right balancing tartness. Empire keeps getting described as "vinous," which may be the quality I'm struggling to describe. You can tell this apple never met a Honeycrisp, and it has no regrets. I'd like it to be less mealy, but I suspect it held up better in the US Postal Service than most varieties would have. It's very different from the other kinds I've been trying lately, and quite good, which really makes me want to keep trying these older varieties.
Buy again? Yes, but I don't think I could get them here.
captainsblog! Specialty Produce doesn't bother getting flowery about it: "Its crisp and juicy flesh has a flavor that is sweet like a Red Delicious and tart like a McIntosh."
Adam's Apples goes into more detail: "crisp and juicy, though the crunch is just a tad soft. The sweet-tart balance is very good, more tart than that of Spartan, another McIntosh offspring that it in some respects resembles. Against this backdrop are some vinous notes with berries and (maybe) some spice."
In any case, it's a good-looking apple (smells nice, too!), and I'm eager to try one of the older, more respectable varieties rather than all this faddy stuff.
Verdict: Finally, an interesting apple! While mine were a touch soft (and a bit Red Delicious in texture, actually), the flavor was fascinating, very apple, but with just the right balancing tartness. Empire keeps getting described as "vinous," which may be the quality I'm struggling to describe. You can tell this apple never met a Honeycrisp, and it has no regrets. I'd like it to be less mealy, but I suspect it held up better in the US Postal Service than most varieties would have. It's very different from the other kinds I've been trying lately, and quite good, which really makes me want to keep trying these older varieties.
Buy again? Yes, but I don't think I could get them here.
