Bittersweet · 2 trees planted · confidence high
The most widely planted bittersweet cider apple in England, small to medium, round, green-yellow with russet specks. WSU Mount Vernon measures pH 4.09, SG 1.048, 11.4 Brix and 166 mL/lb juice yield, with a semi-spur, semi-upright habit and the highest productivity rating (3.6) of the four WSU cultivars in this set. Its sensory panel calls it a golden amber juice with strong apple and berry aroma that can stand alone but benefits from blending - a dependable blending workhorse rather than a vintage single varietal.
Disease: Susceptible to apple scab, mildew, canker and especially fireblight - 50-90% tree mortality after seven years of severe natural fireblight infection in trial, and half the Montana growers who planted it removed it for fireblight. WSU records a blind-wood rating of 2.0 and semi-alternate bearing. This is the main risk for a humid maritime site.
Discrepancies: Tannin: WSU measures 0.14%, Long Ashton 0.23%. WSU's own figure falls in the sweet band (<0.20%) yet WSU still classifies the cultivar bittersweet, so the single mean looks like the outlier rather than a real reclassification; recommended medium, which both classifications support. Bloom: WSU 5/12 maps to group 3 on the Mount Vernon range; RHS and BC Tree Fruit call it group 4 / mid-late. Recommended 3 per WSU. Harvest: WSU 10/12 versus Cummins' September 8 in New York - a five-week regional gap, and the WSU date is the one that applies to Port Angeles. Bearing: WSU semi-alternate against Salt Spring's claim of little trouble with biennialism; recommended moderate per WSU.