APPEARANCE Rating: 
Shiny red and green striped skin with pale yellow flesh.
AROMA Rating:
Very sweet with the slightest honey scent (seriously I have no idea if I am just extremely influenced my the name or if it really does smell like honey but I like it so I don’t really care what caused it).
TEXTURE Rating:
Crispy, crunchy, juicy, dense flesh – completely ideal apple texture.
TASTE Rating:
Bright, fresh, sweet apple flavor with a slightly tart kick to it that reminds me a bit of lemons.
OVERALL Overall Rating:
I know there are a lots of fans of this apple out there and I will admit that for texture and juice it is perfection. However, for flavor, I have to say it doesn’t wow me. It is good – yes, but a bit one-noted. It is nicely sweet, but a little too bright for me and not at all complicated. Of the general grocery store apple options this is an excellent one, but if you look a little harder, I promise you can find something even better.
FRUIT
Apple
VARIETY
Honey Crisp
PEAK
Fall
ORIGIN
Univ. of Minnesota (1960)
GROWN
Unknown
PURCHASED
Grocery Store
NOTES
There is some “drama“, and believe me I definitely use that word lightly, around the parentage of this apple. Apparently the parents were claimed to be the Honeygold and the Macoun and then some testing determined that neither of those apples were involved in the Honeycrisp inception. I would dismiss this, since I seriously don’t care that much about farming and hybridizing and whatnot, and I’ve never even tasted a Honeygold or a Macoun, but what kind of persons dismisses the plight of an orphan? Not I! Oh no, not I. So… “Dear Honeycrisp, I like you and I wish you all the best in finding your true and loving parents. I am sorry for any pain you have endured. Maybe ‘Find My Family‘ can help. Let me know if there is anything I can do. Best, Fruit Maven”
I’ve heard that honeycrisps taste differently depending on which state the apple was grown. It originated in Minnesota so therefore it’s the most delicious. Other states have different fall frosts + cold snaps + whatnot that affect the taste. I’ve had this variety from both grocery store (grown in washington + minnesota) + orchard and hands down orchard tastes the best. It’s my favorite apple. Minnesotans are very protective of this gem.
Honey Crisp apples are the best. I would believe it to have been half-fathered by a Macoun, as those are my first favorite apples, Honey Crisp being a tight second. Delish.
Looks like I’m going to need to make a trip to Minnesota to get my hands on an original! And I’m adding Macoun to my list of must-find apples.