SugarBee Apple Review
"The Honey Grenade"
The SugarBee, created in Minnesota by a bee’s chance cross-pollination of a Honeycrisp blossom and an unknown apple variety is a handsome skee-ball of an apple substantial enough to kill a man in close combat. When held, one can’t help but feel the reverberations of its awesome power, understanding that if man had harnessed such a densely packed sugar bomb in the state of nature he would reign supreme for generations. Thankfully, in today’s world, the natural urge to kill using this apple can easily be avoided and replaced with the joy of an exceptionally juicy bite, satisfying crunch, and a robustly rich honey-like taste.
Aside from the fact that this apple really does taste like honey, the most remarkable aspect of the SugarBee Apple is its horrifying, murder-doll-esque bee mascot. Be sure to watch the video below for a glimpse of this nightmarish CGI bee (with a little boy’s haircut for some reason) that is moments away from flying through your screen and eating your soul.
BONUS POINTS: +2 Juiciness, +1 Cider Apple
- FLAVOR PROFILE -
SWEETNESS
3/5
TARTNESS
1/5
INTENSITY
2.5/5
SUGARBEE BIO
PARENTAGE
Honeycrisp x Unknown
ORIGIN
Minnesota / Washington State
YEAR
2017
AVAILABILITY
Fall – Early Spring
BEST USES
I still haven’t recovered from the fact that I spent $1.40 on one apple.
You can petition the government for assistance on financial losses due to SugarBee Apple purchases.
Absolutely delicious apples
I have eaten many apples. Sugarbee has become my favorite. Yes they cost more, but I will pay that for this huge, great tasting apple
Preach! These apples crush Honeycrisp apples. They must have been eating a 2-month old apple to rate the flavor and skin as low as they did. Either that or the authors had been sick of eating apples all day cause LAWD these are great apples. Nothing better than a sugarbee apple.
I agree with you 100%
The SugarBee is easily the top apple. It’s not even close. Especially laughable is the ridiculously low “consistency” rating. SugarBee apples are cookie-cutter consistent. Again, not even a contest. The crisp snap when you bite into one is absolutely unique – you’ll be lucky if chunks of it don’t go flying all over the place. I really doubt the criteria used here when the clearly inferior Honeycrisp, Envy, and Pink Lady are rated above the SugarBee. While I have not yet found the SweeTango apples for sale anywhere, I have serious doubts that they can approach the overall quality of the SugarBee — particularly in regard to crispness, flavor, and consistency.
At 3.95 per lb. they better be good! Was, by far, costliest apple at my grocery, Dierbergs St Louis..
I just paid 1.90 per pound at Aldi’s.
I absolutely love these sugar bee apples. I’m from Texas and we get all kinds of apples from everywhere and I never cared for them because of the thick skins lack of taste and to much wax on them. Theses are the best apples we have ever gotten.
Can’t argue with that!
Have to disagree on this one. I was skeptical from your review and based on scent thought it might be past peak but was pleasantly surprised. Mine was not overly dense – if anything maybe a touch on the soft side without much snap, but not to the point of being unpleasant. Definitely a far cry from the Envy jawbreaker. Juicy and sweet with a bit of acidity for balance and rich, fairly complex flavor. Ironically I’d say more honey like than its parent which has a more of a simple sugariness. They got their branding backwards, lol. Not at the top of my list but under your system I’d put it in the solid mid 70s. Certainly worth buying again. I wonder how much difference the location makes in quality – I’m in the apple capital of WA which should be a good environment for varieties like this.
Serviceable is still not bad for a ranking – so if you wanted to bump it up 2-3 points that wouldn’t be wrong.
Do you live in Wenatchee? My daughter does.
Great area!
I dont live there but I have visited. Apple capital of the world!
I just tried two of these. The first one was awful in taste and texture and I threw it out after a few bites. The second was extremely mid, like a gala. Maybe I got a bad batch or something but I don’t understand all the rave reviews in the comments at all. They weren’t even that notably sweet.
You’re high. Before I tried this apple I didn’t even like apples. I still don’t like most of them, but this is worth the extra to me. To be sure I have not had a flavorless one yet. Can’t say the same about the others.
I don’t see what me being high has anything to do with it
Eating one right now…. at this very moment. I came across your site yesterday and couldn’t wait to see what my SugarBee had in store. I don’t think mine could serve as a medieval weapon, maybe a good playground or fraternity projectile though. It does have a nice crunch, juicy and sweet, overall pretty dang good. I’ve shared your site with my workmates. Your apple vernacular is a huge hit and super useful as everyone is on a health kick (new year you know). Who knew there were so many spoils to choose from in the apple world.
You are my ideal reader!
I was surprised to see the review. I bought one the other day just to try it out and loved it. It was sweet, juicy, and had great texture. I will definitely buy more. I think it is my favorite now.
I have read the above reviews and I have to disagree with them in general. I LOVE the Sugarbee apple, and since discovering it haven’t eaten any other variety. It is everything I love best in an apple. I never eat the peel off any apple, so no worries there. They are crisp, juicy, and sweet. They are plenty firm enough to stand up to a swipe through stiff peanut butter. I say try them and enjoy. To each his/her own!
If you remove the skin and are taking advantage of the SugarBee’s density to scoop peanut butter then I can see this being a favorite apple. But I have to take the apple as a whole into account and all my reviews are first and foremost based on munching, not scooping. Therefore, we’re probably not that far off on our opinions of this apple.
I got a Sugar Bee Apple as a sample from one of the grocers I use. It has been sitting in my refrig in a “presentation” box for many weeks. I finally tasted it and am convinced it is a fantastic apple. I usually get Pink Lady But if I can find more Sugar Bee apples I will be really hummin’.
It’s a good apple!
I hadn’t eaten any apple in decades when I found Sugar Bees at Sprouts last fall when buying Honeycrisps for my husband. OMG! I wound up buying 8-10 at a time, keeping them in my fridge crisper drawer and eating at least 2 every single morning until their season ended. Yeah, they are dense and pricey, but I am addicted.
Hi tried these apples because the produce man at Sprouts said how good they are. He was So right. They are a little pricey at 2:99 a lb. But they are worth it to me. Keep them coming !!!!
Sprouts generally has good produce!
I was never a regular apple consumer until I tried these on a whim. Now I purchase weekly as they are so good. Have almost a watermelon sweetness. They are on the expensive side, hoping they come down a bit as they become more popular.
SugarBee is in my top three apples (SugarBee, EverCrisp, HoneyCrisp). the first year they were available in my state of Oregon I was shocked at their floral, sweet, syrupy flavor. Yes, the acidity is low, but that floral note was over the moon. Their skin is a little tough, but the flavor more than makes up for it. The last couple years’ crops have been missing that floral note. Every once in a while I hit a lucky one. While the magic is a little off, they are never mealy. Always crisp and juicy. This year’s crop so far has been closer to my earlier expectation.
The visual beauty of the SugarBee apple is hard to beat as is the juiciness. It’s also pretty darn sweet. Pleasantly different!
There’s a taste that I can’t describe but it reminds me of wild apples we gather from abandoned orchards as kids. This is a great apple. Juicy and flavorful. I love the crunch. I don’t mind the skin. I assume it’s coarseness is off putting to some people but I liked the texture. I scrubbed the apple carefully and enjoyed every bite. My chihuahua also loved his portion.
Pacific Rose apples are my absolute favorite but didn’t see on your apple list. They’re difficult to find & very seasonal I assume. So have been trying different apples to find one with the closest delicious soft, sweet taste with no tartness.
Try an Opal!
I just had the dubious dis/honor of buying one of these massive water buckets. At $3.90 a pound I expected that a honeycrisp descendant would be sweet malic ambrosia. I was wrong. Honeycrisp reigns supreme!
After trying Honeycrisp apples I thought I have found the best apple out there. Until I tried these SugarBee apples. I love the taste of these so much!
Weeeee agreeee. “It’s got the juice.” A veri wet apple. Winky face.
My two favorites are Snap dragon and Honey Bee
This apple is too intense! Take it down a notch, SugarBee
you have absolutely no taste whatsoever. how ever like assholes,all are different!!!!!
You don’t get the show
I live in NYS and we grow a lot of different varieties in the state. I have never come across a Sugar Bee until this March and my taste buds fell in love. Absolutely delicious! Yes, a little more costly than other varieties but my point of view, totally worth it!
Not a big Apple fan for just snacking on them. Since trying Sugar Bee I’m willing to pay the price and eat 1-2 a day. I live close to the NC mountains and can get up to 20 varieties, from Honeycrisp, Galas, Pink Lady, etc. But Sugar Bee has won me over.
I just ate one of these and didn’t like it at all. Maybe I’m too used to the top-ranked Kanzi. It was watery and somewhat flavorless, a bit sweet but little else. (Perhaps I like my apples a bit more tart.) I would not describe it as having a “robustly rich honey-like taste.” The flesh was dense but not satisfyingly crisp. It was pretty big and eating it felt like a chore. I have three more and I’m not looking forward to eating them.
SugarBees are bomb! Expensive at my small mountain town supermarket but worth it.
Curious. When I tried SugarBee two years ago I was pleasantly surprised in comparison to your less than enthusiastic review, which I recall being somewhere in the low to mid 60s. Now I come back to find you’ve given it a full *80*?? I see you added a couple points for juice/cider, but that’s not enough to make such a difference, so what changed?
Just need to say to any naysayers, this is by far THE BEST apple I’ve ever eaten in my life! Pink lady and honeycrisp apples were the only apples I loved before ever coming across this delicious SUGARbee! It’s well rounded flavor and crunch keeps me excited for the next bite! Just thought to myself let me see if anyone else is a fan out there! LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL APPLE!!! Thanks be to our God!
I love apples and have always eaten them. My son bought these for me and I could not believe how delicious they are. Most of all was the crispness of mine was amazing. It seems the last few years apples have gotten less crisp but these are wonderful.
Great Apple. Tough to find on the East Coast. Must have been a good year both my local stores have them.
Too sweet, almost sickly sweet.
Not sure enough acidity to balance.
Very nice crispness though.
Would not snack again.
Sugar Bee apples are the BEST….I had always eaten Envy apples but could not get them one time so I tried the Sugar Bee ones..It really beats the taste of the Envy apples.. I love a crisp apple and it is that but also a wonderful, sweet flavor….I look forward to eating one every day.
Our local grocery store had these for 77 cents per pound, which is a good price, but what attracted me was the color of these apples. I was really impressed with the prettiness of the apples, so I bought one. For me, it is the BEST apple that I have ever eaten. It is much tastier than a red apple, and there is no comparison in the texture between these two types. I cut the apple in half, and stored the other half in a plastic sandwich bag, and placed it in the ‘fridge. I ate that half late, and I was impressed that it didn’t brown! I went from red apples to Gala apples, but this one is now my go to apple!
Blech…
This apple is way too sweet for me. It’s like they soaked it in syrup before selling it. Not going to go for this one again.
Almost tasted like Tennessee Honey whisky to me for some reason, but not in a bad way lol
I ate this apple by chance the first year they became available in supermarkets. Someone left one in my car after a hike and It had been rolling around in the back for like a week. Still firm, fresh, and juicy when I bit into it, these apples become my obsession. I ate them until they were out for the season, waiting until the next harvest, proselytizing to whoever would listen about their second coming.
I live in the Chicago area and will only shop at Jewel because they are the only store to carry these delicious orbs of sugary goodness.
Just tried one of these. It is pleasantly crunchy and sweet and lacks any complexity. Not as bad as the horrible Evercrisp I tried today but I wouldn’t buy it again.
I paid $1.29 per lb. Im 70 years old and had 1 for the first time 3 days ago. I’m going back for 10 lbs
Just tried these apples recently. The best tasting apple by far.
I love the “bad” reviews; means more Sugar Bs for ME. So flipping good!
Great texture, very pleasant, complex sweetness with just a touch of tartness. Holds up well in fridge after sliced. I enjoyed the skin, and they don’t seem to bruise too easily. Happily added to my apple rotation
Every bad review here makes me realize how tainted, tortured, and withered peoples taste buds get after age and eating jalapenos and other spicy garbage food.
The SugarBee is truly a magic apple. The unfortunate thing is that they seem to get dented by air. So fragile. I see 40 apples at the store and am usually able to get 1 or 2 maximum that aren’t massively dented. Then it’s self checkout to keep cashiers from tossing them on the scale causing more smashing.
I love these apples.
M
This is my new favorite apple, surpassing honeycrisp. An added bonus, they’ve been $1.99/lb all season!
just purchased these at my commissary today. After i got my jaw unlocked from the Tart/bitter taste, i cut these up to feed/piss of the birds around the house. the worst tasting apple i have ever tasted..
Basically it’s my favorite apple, because it’s not too tart, not too sweet (even though it’s called sugarbee. I don’t like apples that are too sweet. Fuji has become too sweet compared to what I recall over 30 years ago), and excellent crunch and refreshingness.
I have to say that I am a little disappointed. I eat an apple every day, usually honey crisp, cosmic crisp, or most recently and admittedly my favorite, envy apples. When I saw this apple at the market last week, I was excited to try it, and so today, I did. I agree that the crunch is pretty good, but with almost zero tartness…it’s just too sweet. I generally love sweet things, especially apples, but the flavor of this apple reminds me of eating a sugar substitute and I really did not enjoy it. I bought a few, so I will try another one tomorrow but so far, I’m not a fan.
been buying these lately, they’re a good size and taste really nice!
I question your credibility. The Sugarbee is superior to the overrated Honeycrisp. It is the obvious successor to the that ugly overpriced apple. Texture of the Honeycrispy, but doesnt make you suck your cheeks in. Plus, it’s beautiful. Branding is perfect.
I really like the Sugar Bee Apple. I have lived in NY for the past 2 years. Previously, I lived in Los Angeles. I never saw Sugar Bee there. I purchased them last season for the first time. Delish! Looking forward to this season.
Love these apples!! Always looking forward to them.
I have lived in Mexico for 37 years now and these apples are the best I have eaten here. They cost $1.76 US dollars a pound at the current exchange rate although we buy then by the KG in pesos. I checked out the bar code information and it says that they are electronically irradiated so that is a concern and that they are traditionally raised with chemicals. Does anyone know if they sell these that are organically grown? One more thing to check out, fruits and vegetables can be organically grown but then at the grocery store they can use chemicals to keep them fresh.
This apple ( Sugar Bee sticker) has been on our counter for 5 weeks. No discoloration, bruising or signs of rotting. It’s still firm to the touch. Not sure what’s it actually made of. I remember when apples sat out for days. They begun to soften, turn brown & now rotten.