The general section on apple above explains what a large number of varieties there are, some of great antiquity. This alphabetical list gives brief details of just a few, not including the most recent arrivals whose staying power is not yet fully established.
Allington Pippin is one of the sweet/sharp varieties which exemplifies the manner in which an apple’s taste can change with age. As Joan Morgan (1985) points out, it ‘can be almost bitter sweet in early November but mellows to a definite pineapple flavour by Christmas’. It also exemplifies complexity of flavour; one enthusiast claimed that he had found ‘pine and grape, the scent of quince and pear … the breath of honey from the hive in its gelid pores’.
