McIntosh Apple Review
"A Seal-Skinned Canadian Letdown"
The National Apple of Canada, this dense curling stone has the refreshing tart kick of an icy northern winter. Unfortunately, it comes dressed for the cold, with a caribou-skin Inuit parka snuggly protecting the interior of its grainy snow-white flesh. Beware – this tumour-swollen reindeer nose has perhaps the thickest most intractable skin of any apple this side of the Prime Meridian. In fact, in an emergency, the McIntosh apple could be hollowed out and used as a makeshift shelter appropriate for the harshest of arctic storms.
The McIntosh gets a massive branding boost by being the eponymous apple of Macintosh computers. For fans of Apple, this is an egregious misnomer, denigrating a quality product. For Apple haters, the McIntosh apple is a suitable analog for a sub-par computer that fails to impress.
BONUS POINTS: +2 Branding
- FLAVOR PROFILE -
SWEETNESS
2/5
TARTNESS
3/5
INTENSITY
3/5
MCINTOSH APPLE BIO
PARENTAGE
Unknown
ORIGIN
Ontario, Canada
YEAR
Early 19th Century
AVAILABILITY
Late Fall – Spring
BEST USES
Applesauce
OTHER NAMES
McIntosh Red, Mac
someone has never had one in seasons. delicious. your review is horse food.
SO TRUE fresh ripe Macintosh apples are so good. Also hot take but the tartness, tough skin and the texture of the flesh combined is really good actually
I agree. Macintosh and Cosmic Crisp are my top two favorite.
Macintosh unfortunately does not keep well, and is notorious for going soft on you.
Cosmic Crisp, MacIntosh, Cortland and Honey Crisp are my favourites. Absolute worst is the Red Delicious!
Just because those are the only two apples you’ve had.
I agree with your review. Picked and stored right McIntosh are favored by many. But as the harder crisper varieties make it into crispers by another generation McIntosh is falling behind a bit. But people like my motherinlaw you could have offered her a free bushel of Honeycrisp and she would turn them down needing those McIntosh to make her pies.
I will say that people who love McIntosh are serious, devoted, McIntoshers and know and love their old friend.
WHAT? This site has no credibility based on this rating alone – so far wrong on every count I can’t believe you ever tasted one
Found this site looking for a description of another variety. Clearly the reviewer lacks any credibility based on the Mac review alone. There is variability among Macs, and I believe I have found other varieties labeled as such. But good Mac absolutely cannot be beat!
McIntosh have that wonderful aroma and sweet taste when ripe and after being stored for a while, Yes they have lost their “crunch” by then, but if I wanted “crunch” I would eat celery sticks. I have been greatly disapointed by all other apples I have eaten. I wonder why I even bother.
John you are in my head. I need other apple options that have the distinct ripe tartness of a good macintosh. also soft apples are good, sorry haters
Just imagine cancel culture for apples. This weekend, Macs are 79 cents a pound and they are very available and tasty too. I love them and so do my horses. And that’s not marketing you are ranking but history, tradition, nostalgia. There’s a big flavour. The skin is good for you.
What about Northern Spys?
I haven’t had the opportunity to try a Northern Spy but based on name alone I have been very hopeful to get my hands on one.
I was also looking for your review of the Northern Spy and also the Spartan I think you need to take a trip up North to Canada to taste a fresh off the tree Mac and also to try some of our other varieties!
There’s a reason its listed as “horse food” on the main page of this site.
The local McIntosh apples are so so so good, especially right off the trees during a cold autumn day
The skin is very good too, I’m wondering what kind of McIntosh apples you’ve been eating….
I don’t know what the fuck kind of McIntoshes you are eating. Pick one off a tree and take a bite. Sweet and delicious. If you have trouble biting through the skin you need to see a dentist.
I am a dentist
When I was a kid in Manitoba in the 90s my parents bought mostly Spartan apples, which are apparently a cross between McIntosh and an unknown parent. Did anyone else eat these? Were they as bitter and grainy as I remember? The texture was absolutely wretched.
I grew up on Vancouver Island and I love Spartan apples (Appleist please review). The problem with Spartans is their complete lack of any shelf life to speak of; Nothing compares to a freshly-picked Spartan, but if you don’t grow your own or get extremely lucky while shopping, they very quickly degrade into a mealy disappointment. That being said, I’ve had as many if not more bad Spartans than I have good ones, and I totally see where you’re coming from. Also, I think I heard somewhere that apparently the other parent was a Newtown Pippin?
One day I hope to try them!
I actually really like the graininess of macintosh apples. Any recommendations for apples with a similar mouth feel?
If you like a grainier apple – people swear by the Cortland. I don’t stand by it, but it might just be your new favorite.
I once had an Acey Mac. My favorite store bought apple of all time. Never seen it again.
Macs are great fresh, as are Cortland. Neither stands up when shipped though.
I would love to get my hands on an Acey Mac
Aceymacs are also called Spartan apples, if you’re still looking for them!
McIntosh apples are my king and country. I would die for a freshly picked bag of them. Long live the king!
thank you dave! i disagree with you on this one, though! mcintosh is definitely one of the apples you can buy at the store! i know how to buy gasoline and milk!
OP has weak teeth.
When in season the Mcintosh is THE best eating apple. Sweet, crisp, just the right tartness, super juicy, thin skin. Just gorgeous. Spartans are similar but they are crossed with something like a jazz or ambrosia apple, so good enough if you cant find a mcintosh but i find they get bruised and spoil faster.
You just don’t like sour apples, this is discriminatory.
4 out of top 8 apples are sour. Kanzi is number 3 on the list and that’s the most sour of them all
I’m honestly shocked and dismayed to read the review and see the score. You rated the vile McIntosh so much higher than it deserved to be. Truly one of the worst I’ve ever had
Reading this review, I couldn’t help but lose it laughing, because this is absolutely true for me. When I was growing up, my Mother would buy specifically McIntosh apples to make apple crisp or apple pie, and that was all they were used for, until they disappeared from stores. A few years back, the elusive McIntosh reappeared so I decided to buy one and give it a try without the cover of brown sugar, butter, and oats. Most disappointing experience ever. I’m wondering if it didn’t survive the transportation process.
This is like comic nuts ranking superheroes. Can Superman beat Shazaam? Yes, then why can’t Superman beat Black Adam (the black Shazaam)?
I don’t know, but more importantly I don’t really care, because I like Macs. I buy Macs, almost exclusively. I’ve eaten, at best, a dozen of those varieties. Almost all of them fall into the category of “They’re apples but they’re not Macs,” which interestingly enough is the category into which all the varieties I haven’t eaten fall.
The few that don’t fall into that category are Red Delicious — “won’t buy, won’t eat” category, and Granny Smith — “I’ll eat these again the next time I’m in Africa because they’re the best (almost only) apple you can get in Africa” category.
Though I’m curious why you don’t rate Ida Red, Northern Spy, Spartan, and a couple others readily available in my grocery stores. Perhaps because few apple varieties are “global” products in the manner they are treated here.
Since for me, the best apple discussion is settled, I’d rather talk about ranking superheroes, but only if someone insists on talking best apples.
More than enough said.
if he hasn’t ranked an apple it’s because he hasn’t tried it yet.
Thanks for having my back
I laughed so hard at this review even as I take offense to you denigrating one of my favorite apples. There is nothing like a fresh McIntosh. I’ve tried many kinds of apples and I’ve yet to find anything that has the same balance of sweetness and tartness of a Mac. I will admit that their skins are a bit tough though. You know you found a bad/old one when you can’t even grind the skin down with your back teeth.
(Also I’m a PC person and hate that a computer company has coopted the name of a beloved fruit.)
The Macintosh is appledom’s sweet paradox. When they are fresh, there is no apple better, in my opinion. So tart it’ll turn your face inside out. Mere moments after their prime, however, they are truly the worst. I have residual childhood trauma from Macs being literally the only fruit in winter, mushy binned apples that are months old, eaten outside in the snow at recess, their texture not improved by having banged around in a metal lunchbox for hours.
bro you are insane these are delicious
I guess these apples aren’t nearly as ambrosiesque as the more popular varieties, but I think the diminutive size and tart flavour have charm! It certainly has its own unique flavour.
Or maybe i’m a Canadian who’s experiencing their very first bout of cultural indignation?
My Uncle lived by the apple orchards in Rougemont Quebec. McIntosh are the best especially straight from the tree.
Whoever this dude is who wrote this doesn’t know the different between apples and road apples.
This site is worthless lol
Agreed, McIntosh are best from the tree!! I think this makes them a delicacy in a way- they must be freshly picked and either eaten right away or chilled and consumed within a few days. In the same way many spectacular fruits require specific preparation or are otherwise completely ruined, the McIntosh requires freshness and care when storing. This poor guy has never experienced a fresh, true McIntosh apple. It’s a shame really.
You must live in the southern part of the U.S. A mac will never taste good if it’s shipped. I lived in New England for a few years and went picking and they are absolutely awesome straight off the tree… Bought some in New Mexico and they were trash. They just don’t survive….. eat local I guess!
according to his personal website he lives in new york.
my bad, i misread it; he grew up in new york, but currently lives in california. i don’t know which location he was in when he tried the mickeytush though so for all i know it might not even be relevant.
Every other apple is a let down in comparison.
Totally 100% agree! PURE HORSE FEED! As generic tasting as boil-everything-in-water Irish cooking. It is the most mediocre, generic white Joe and Susie apple of all apples whether picked off the tree or bought at the grocers. Most overrated apple. Most overrated apple in Canada. If they named it the Wambamba or didn’t originate from Canada, they’d be hating on this bland apple like roided-up hockey players. If the McIntosh name weren’t there, they wouldn’t touch it. Trust me. If the apple was named American Eagle, Quebec Red, or any other name other than some Irish surname, these apples would be horse feed right off the truck.
I’ve lived in Canada my whole life, and I’ve had more than my fair share of these apples. I can honestly say, with zero exaggeration that eating this apple has never once been a pleasant experience. There is nothing this apple does well, makes me ashamed to be a Canadian
Try the Salish apple for a better canadian variety. Tart, crunchy & thin-skinned. They also take a while longer to brown than other apples I’ve had.
More people need to know about Salish. They are so good. Perfect crunch, mega sweetness, complex spicy tart flavor, and they’re quite small which is a positive in my opinion, perfect for snacking.They appeared in my local farm market just a couple years ago and immediately became my favorite
Macintosh apples make great cider fresh or hard. And if they are very fresh they are wonderful in every way: tart, crisp, and flavorful. Supermarket ones tent to be not free enough, also a problem with Cortland and Macoun.
Still looking for an apple that cooks up as well as a McIntosh for apple pie or apple sauce. Sure, it’s not a great snacking apple, but nothing seems better in sweets.
When I was young I lived in New York. My mother bought McIntosh apples all the time. They were big and juicy, sweet and sour, you could bite into that apple and your teeth would meet. They were the the most delicious apple on earth. Now 65 years later the skin is like leather, they are absolutely tasteless, no more sweet and sour. They were so easy to bite into, now I can’t even cut it with a knife without struggling. What in the world happened to McIntosh apples???? You made a mess out of them.
Well, I know which apple site not to trust anymore.
My absolute favorite.
I can’t bear this McIntosh defamation. More recent years have yielded apples like you’ve described, much to my disappointment. BUT- in season McIntosh during a good year simply cannot be beat. The McIntosh didn’t always have a grainy texture, or a horridly tough skin. I do think the McIntosh apples from mass distributing orchards that supply grocery stores have experienced a decline in quality. BUT the apples from smaller orchards that supply farmers markets are true to the McIntosh I know and love. Those apples have the unmistakable McIntosh scent reminiscent of the crispiest, brightest fall days, a brilliant tart yet sweet flavor, flesh that is medium soft and nearly creamy in texture, and a flavorful skin that allows for a bright crunch in the bite and compliments the soft flesh perfectly. It is harder to find the McIntosh apples I know and love, but there is no fruit that can top this wonderful apple for me.
I love these! I went to an orchard in Ontario when I was a kid and picked a bunch, I loved them so much. I wish I could find them (fresh) in Texas.
Only appropriate to eat straight off the tree after the first frost
It’s true, from a store, macintosh is abysmal. This is an apple that needs to be picked off the tree, and grows best in northern climates. For the first three weeks after picking, it is God’s own apple–a pleasant skin that hasn’t gone leathery yet, notes of such delicately nuanced fruitiness that they’re almost floral and strawberry-like as they drift up your nose and a beautiful smooth, snappy-crisp grain. It’s hard to believe it’s even the same variety. I can see why generations of apple growers have chased the dream of a mac that will keep for shipping.
Every year I get friends up to visit me during fall, and when I take them apple-picking I tell them we’re hitting the macintoshes and they think I’m crazy till I tell them to snag one and taste it. Every one of them has been an on-the-spot convert. If you ever get the chance to try one this way, go for it.
I grew up in the Hudson Valley. My father grew up on a McIntosh farm. When you attack the McIntosh – the king of apples except to those unrefined persons who think that apples should taste like candy – you attack not only the very notions of good sense and right thinking but my heritage as well. You, sir, are a scoundrel who should be taken by the constabulary to be publicly flogged at next year’s Ulster County Fair in front of a crowd happily enjoying the tart crispness of the apple you so cavalierly malign.
Macs make the best apple pie.
I lived in Minnesota for 44 years and tried the Honeycrisp at the State Fair when it first came out 30 years ago. Nope, MacIntosh was and still is my favorite apple. Now I live in Wisconsin where I make a yearly pilgrimage to the orchard to pick my fill of Macs, both regular and RubyMacs. These are the only apples I will eat fresh. On the other hand, I’m surprised to see people talking about using them for baking. They are NOT a baking apple because they become mushy. Get yourselves crisp, tart apples for pies.
That’s balogna! Anyone who says that McIntosh are less than perfect are clearly dealing with ageusia.
This is just awful.
Whoever ranked this gem of an apple as “Horse food” should be physically assaulted
A McIntosh at a local grocery store isn’t great. They get mushy quickly, but if you have one picked off an Apple tree, they are really good. That tangy (sweet/sour) combo is fantastic. Since most Apples have pesticides all over them, I peel the skin off most apples I eat anyways. So the skin isn’t an issue for me.
McIntosh is the best apple of all time, followed closely by SweeTango
Whoever doesn’t like McIntosh must have gotten a bad one, or needs to have their taste buds checked
the texture is grainy. i do like the flavor though . but overall not worth it.
What a terrible apple review, written by someone who’s full of himself and doesn’t know what he’s talking about. What a useless website.
Are you nuts? I mean you had me firmly on your side when I just now read the review of the shameful capitalist con that is the Red Delicious, an apple bred for looks alone. But this is ridiculous Have you ever had a fresh picked mac? A good mcIntosh is the very very best, my number 1. None crisper, bright white juicy flesh, DELICIOUS flavor, you have to get them at least half red, they;ll stay crisp for a long time, and the flavor just gets better and better. Upstate NY is covered in them, they dont have to be organically grown, in fact its very difficult for some reason to find an organic macintosh but no matter since even the conventionally grown are delicious, and practically OG anyway, (most of the NY/Vermont farms are Organic, they just don’t want to spend the money for certification). WHen you get them fresh 9 out of 10 are the BEST, tart yet sweet crisp flavor cannot be beat, and the texture is perfect, thin skins that burst into bright white juicy perfection.
Seriously I think whoever wrote this review is trolling or something, its so far from accurate.
Are you certain you’ve eaten real Macs?
I grew up in upstate NY. We had an annual apple festival with over a dozen varieties featured. Macs are still my fave by far…
So much that here in Colirado, when possible I buy 1-2 whole boxes full to eat over the winter (kept in cold garage storage.) Crisp, juicy, tasty every one.
If the skin is truly thick, they must be defective. I admit, it is quite possible to turn a warm Mac into an applesauce bomb if you are careful LOL
Seems like the ratings are heavy on the eating out of hand because I don’t think there’s a better sauce apple than Macs