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I've eaten three of them:  Ashmead's Kernal, Braeburn, and Gravenstein. 
 I (and the rest of my family) loved Ashmead's kernal, which is sweet, 
tart, crunchy, and good-flavored.  But I'd never grow it commercially 
as it's also small, ugly, somewhat russeted, and tends to be misshapen. 
 the only "eating apple" that I've tried that is smaller is the lady 
apple.  I liked Braeburn well enough, but didn't love it.  The sample I 
had was probably over-ripe.  It is also a sour apple, and the flavor is 
nice.  It's supposed to be a cooking apple, but I haven't tried that.  
I keep trying Gravenstein because people (on this list) say nice things 
about it, and I keep being disappointed.  I may be eating it too late 
in the season.  I've had both Gravenstein and Red Gravenstein, and they 
are similar.  They are soft, sour, and have okay flavor.  They made 
perfectly fine sauce, but nothing that we got excited about.  (The pink 
gravensteins, which we cooked with their skins, made a nice pink 
sauce.)

I planted an Ashmead's Kernal this spring, and a deer promptly ate it, 
so I guess the wood tastes good, too.

Ginda

On Dec 22, 2003, at 8:37 PM, Robert Hartley wrote:

> I received the following from my son who lives in zone 7.
>
> "Dad,
>
> While I know that judging apples is a subjective business and it is 
> impossible to get more than a few people to agree on any given apple, 
> I wondered what you or your associates on the apple list think of the 
> following varieties:
>
> Arkansas Black
> Ashmead's Kernel
> Belle de Boskoop
> Braeburn
> D'Arcy Spice
> Gravenstein
> Pink Pearl
> Sierra Beauty
>
> I understand that Arkansas Black, Belle de Boskoop and Gravenstein 
> produce sterile pollen and will need pollinators.  Also, Gravenstein 
> and Pink Pearl flower early and Arkansas Black flowers late so they 
> probably will not be a good mix.  If you had to choose three from this 
> list considering the pollination needs as well as the apples overall, 
> what would they be?  What substitutions might you make?  If you could 
> choose ANY three apples to grow together, assuming you liked tart 
> apples, what might they be?
>
> My plan was to try growing them as espaliers, probably two but 
> possibly three tiers and spreading 12 feet or less.  How dwarf will I 
> want them (111, 106 or B9)?  Any considerations with the above apples?
>
> Finally, do you know anything about "Trees of Antiquity" 
> (http://www.treesofantiquity.com/)?  Any nurseries you particularly 
> recommend?
>
> --
> Henry"
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Bob Hartley
>
>
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