I have never found a complete listing. The Dave Wilson results below are one of the few I found. They did not try many varieties so it is not the most useful, but it is a summary across many tests which is good.

I should also say that many taste test results are not super helpful as it is impossible to test many varieties together at their optimal point, and the ones that are not ready or are past their prime get unfairly rated. The way I view them is if a variety does well I keep it in mind as a variety of interest. Doing badly doesn't mean too much, unless it is consistent across many tests.

From the Dave Wilson results below, I am surprised to see Cameo doing well because it has been completely average every time I tried it. All the other ones are very good apples when grown well, but there are countless other good ones that I doubt they even had on the table: Egremont Russet, Claygate Pearmain, Kidds Orange Red, Ribston Pippin, Swaar, Wickson, Reinette Gris du Canada, Mother, Hewes Crab, etc etc.

Scott

Glenn:

I don't think you will find what you are looking for. Wish we could. But even with lots of people tasting, you are still tied to one or a few apple samples. The more I look at fruit quality the more I realize that it varies a lot depending on many variables. For instance, last yr my Galas were superb. I don't expect them to be as good this yr. If they aren't, I'll suspect differences in water. That is the factor that I see affecting fruit quality over and over. But it is impossible to know for sure why one sample is better than another.

The advantage of opinions on a forum like this is we aren't trying to sell you something. I grew sick a long time ago of the nurseries that only sell "the world's best". And they don't sell just one best, they all are in one way or another as they state it.

The Fruitnut

Glenn,

Fruitnut's point is well taken: the same variety grown and harvested under different conditions can taste very different. This said, if I were you I would try to identify local farmer's markets that in the fall might be expected to sell some heirloom apples. There is also Apple Source, an on-line source where you can buy heirloom apples for tasting. I know also that Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia, has apple ratings each year run by Tom Burford, and you might be able to find a link to these on line. One old apple I really liked at a tasting at Vintage Virginia Apples last year was Pomme Gris, an old heirloom variety. Burford says it is a very good choice for those in this part of the world (VA, MD) who want to minimize use of sprays.

I have given the link to Apple Source below. Perhaps Jellyman will chime in. I know he grows Ashmead's Kernel.

I have followed Dave Wilson tasting results for many years. Both while I lived in CA and now in TX. I assume the apples in their tests were grown in their orchards in CA. They are trying to determine which varieties to release to the public; and 90% of their target audience lives in CA. At best I've found half of their recommendations to work for me. About the same as it's usualy been using any information source.

At best Dave Wilson's test tells you which apples people like when grown in the heat of CA. That is some help. A really good apple will probably be good in many locations. But I think temperature can affect some apples to a large degree.

I do look at their results every year. They are the best I'm aware of and are worth considering.

The Fruitnut

Glenn,

A follow up to my earlier posting. On Oct. 18 Tom Burford ("Professor Apple") will hold a tasting of heirloom apples at Monticello in Virginia. If you have the time and money this would be a great event to visit at a time when VA is at its most beautiful. I've posted a link below. Note the link on the page I've linked to to last year's tasting results.

Let me throw in one for you to consider - MonArk, available from VVA, and possibly other sources. Reasonable disease resistance, and for an early-season apple, it's great!
Mine are probably two weeks or so away from full ripeness, but several have fallen or been knocked off the tree in the last week - still mostly green with perhaps half of their red coloration present, though they're coloring up well. Even at less than peak ripeness, they're very good - nice sweet/tart balance with firm, crisp white flesh and good flavor. And, unlike most early apples, this one will keep for 6-8 weeks in refrigeration without going mealy. Great for fresh eating, and Jill Vorbeck at AppleSource says it's also one of the very best cooking apples around.

Have to agree with Scott on Cameo. It came from this area and I just don't "get it". Completely mediocre.
Try some early apples like Redfree or Pristine to give yourself a chance against the bugs. I like these two, especially in their season.
Ashmeads Kernal is a sure thing, good choice.
Pull out the Enterprise, IMHO YMMV.
Our Fruitnut is correct when he implies that homegrown Gala is a superb apple. It really is worth it to grow your own.
I don't know your area, but I would be surprised if Hawaii and Suncrisp wouldn't cause your wife to pull out the Red Delicious.

Oh, and Glenn, you are growing a Rhode Island Greening, aren't you? Just for a sense of history?

All very good information. Thanks guys!

Fruitnut-
Yeah I thought of that Harvesting at different time, its hard to compare. But, I still figure it would be possible. Instead of having 1 taste testing, you have say 4 tastings or so, at slightly different times each year. Then everyone rates the apples on a scale of 1-10, or something like that.
Glad to see that Im not alone in being a little frustrated by nurseries inflated descriptions of each variety. The Apple Grower mentions: "Warren Manharts book Apples for the21st Century is the most valuable reference I have for the learning about the fruiting characteristics and growth habits of many wonderful apples." I wonder if that would be a good source worth buying?

Scott-
Youre right, theres not a lot out there, but I hadnt remembered the Dave Wilson site. Thanks for the info! Maybe we want to add the Dave Wilson site to the other "Best of the Best tasting apple varieties" as just one more set of opinions.

Fruitnut/Scott-
This is going to sound simple, but the Hews & Whitney crab apples that you mention are they actually good? I thought a crab apple was just an apple that wasnt really worth eating. Im surprised to learn about them making these lists.

Austransplant-
The first time I read the post, I didnt see the taste testing results. Now I do. Another good reference. Thanks! I think we should add this as another opinion to Scotts "Best of the Best tasting apple varieties". If it were just me, Id drive right on down to Monticello, but with a 3 year old, and a 1 year old, Im not sure I can justify for that alone this year. Maybe in the future and thanks for the info!

Lucky-
You know you want to add the MonArk to Scotts posting. Thanks,
-Glenn

Geraldo_linux-
I went with Enterprise because it was considered to some as the most disease resistant apple (at least thats what the nurserys description was). Anyway, Id been getting my butt kicked for the last 3 years by CAR, and I was sick of it. The Bonide fruit tree spray said it protected against CAR, but it was only after using it for 3 years did I learn (here on the forum), that it really didnt protect me at all. (Sorry if Im repeating myself you may have seen me complain about that in other postings.) And, all that spraying I had done wasnt helping at all. Now that I know that, there are other things I can do to fight off the CAR organic sulfur sprays, Im going to do a trial tree using Immunox next year, and Ive also manage to obtain Ferbam. So, knowing what I know now, DR trees arent as critical to me but still important as Id prefer to do less spraying and try to keep some trees as organic as possible. That said, the Enterprise was only planted this spring, and if its not very good, then Im certainly not going to give it one of my good spots in my orchard. Ill put it in one of my poorer spots until it proves itself. But, I cant do that yet on just one persons opinion Does anyone else share that opinion?

This, and Scotts other posting have been great. I never really thought about Hawaii before, but Im seeing quite a few postings on that. Dont worry, the RD is in a poorer spot. Ill actually probably get rid of it eventually, because its the central leader on my 5-1 too.

I too have considered Rhode Island Greening. It certainly seem appropriate, historic. I guess Id like to see someone else recommend it (its not on the "best of the best" yet!) At the very least, Im sure Ill graft a branch of one on to one of my other trees at some point.

Thanks to all for your advice/info!
-Glenn

And there it is. Rhode Island Greening got 2nd in the 1994 Monticello Apple Taste Test. Good info.

Apple tastings will not give you any information as to what is the best apple, because each apple reaches its prime at a different time. That's the whole beauty of growing backyard fruit: you get to pick and eat the apples just when they reach their highest potential, at which point each one in its own right would win a taste test hands down against any competitor that isn't at its prime.

As far as choosing the right variety for your garden is concerned, there again, fruit tastings are not useful, because soil, micro-climate and the growing season weather all have an effect on the quality and flavor.

Because apples loose most of their fragrance in commercial 33F storage conditions, and because they're often picked several weeks before they reach their prime (this is done yet again to improve their shelf-life) you also cannot judge an apple from the way it tastes when you buy it at the store or even often at local farmers markets where apples are stored in cold conditions. Of course, different apples respond differently to cold storage, some are better at retaining good quality. Cameo is generally horrible when bought at the store, but a tree-ripened cameo eaten after just the right amount of "natural" 45-55F storage will taste amazingly good.

As a rule of thumb, the later the apple ripens, the higher the quality will be. Some speculate the reason for this is that as the leaves turn, the nutrients from the leaves find their way into the apples. So for example, an Akero ripening in mid-September in Northern Sweden just as the first frosts show up are of much higher quality and have much longer storing properties than an Akero ripening in August in California.

In California where I live, the best apples are those that finish off ripening on the tree all the way into January and even Febuary. For example, Granny Smith, an apple that stays green and at best has culinary appeal when grown in Northern latitude reaches its prime table eating quality when it turns bright yellow in late January. At that time, it tastes like a cross in between a fully ripened pink lady and a golden delicious, a most exquisite apple that rivals any other apple out there. The reason is that it ripens when the leaves finally fall off (January in most of sea-level California) and when there is a good chance of light frosts at night. Other apples which are far too tannic to win a taste test but reach their prime in Febuary includes Lady Williams and a number of the Etter selections.

However, personally, I still love Summer apples - they have a very small window of good quality that you have to hit just right - that window is sandwiched in between too much astringency on one end and the apple going mealy on the other end. For a really early apple like yellow transparent, that window is sometimes just a few hours, or maybe a day or two at most. When you hit an apple like that just right, it's down right heavenly and could win a taste test down right. For example, I just picked "yellow transparent" apples last night, and I let them sit on the counter until this afternoon. This afternoon, they are 100% perfect, the right balance of sweetness and acidity, still nice and crunchy, and downright awesome and yummy and refreshing. Another six hours and they'd be going mealy, good maybe for baking or the chickens. But they're worth it for that small 6 hour window. That's part of the fun. How do I know when they're at their peak? I smell them, as the aroma will peak when they're just right.

The beauty and fun of backyard apple growing is that each apple is a 100% unique flavor, completely dependant on when it is picked and what the weather was like, and the types of feeding it got. Yes, this is the total opposite of what commercial growers try to do - a homogenized, repeatable but bland experience of eating an apple that is usually more reminiscent of eating cardboard.

The truth is that each apple is like a fine wine: it's going to taste different each time, and when treated right, aged properly, and consumed at just the right time, then it can be an earth shattering experience.

My advice to anyone wanting to grow their own apples: experiment with a lot of varieties. Learn to graft and try out grafting many different varieties to find the one that suits your taste buds the best. You will be handsomely rewarded.

I have Rhode Island Greening, now that is one heck of an amazing apple. My all time favorite through has to be Pink Lady. A good home grown Gala or jonagold will knock your socks off, but a store bought one may leave you wondering how anyone can eat apples that taste like cardboard.

I can't over-emphasize how much of an impact the surroundings of a tree can have. For example, Cox Orange Pippin is notoriously difficult to grow. Out here in California, this tree is best grown with 100% afternoon shade, otherwise the fruits are of very poor quality.

Finally, there's the whole issue of disease resistance. But why care about that for a backyard apple? Unless you have commercial ambitions, who cares what the apple looks like. Apple disease susceptibility should not be the primary factor in selecting a backyard tree. In the backyard, imperfection is not only acceptable, it's desirable. On an interesting note, Cox Orange Pippin wood has viruses, yet these very viruses give the fruit more flavor. Here in California, Dave Wilson had the viruses removed from the Cox Orange Pippin (a laboratory procedure) and the resulting trees bear fruit of far inferior quality than the original virus infected Cox orange pippin.

The bottom line is that backyard apple growing is not a factory practice, it's a real art form - it should be a fun and unique experience. Your apples will be special and different from everyone else's apples.

I'll get off my soap box for now - I'd love to hear other's experiences of the best tasting apples they have ever eaten.

axel_sc-
I responded to your post in the other taste test thread accidently. -Glenn

Axel sc:

Very well spoken by a true fruit lover!! Thank you for your post. I'll take my advice from someone like you over any number of fruit tasting results. Tastings tell you mainly what fruit was at peak quality and which was best suited to the site and weather.

The Fruitnut