Cosmic Crisp apple hype: Here’s what our testers said

After much hype and publicity, the new Cosmic Crisp apple is out in stores. We asked a few apple aficionados to check out the new variety. Here’s what they said.

Our judges are between 4 and 9 years old. They’re about to sample three different varieties, in a blind test.

First batch, the popular Honeycrisp. It was developed in Minnesota and was adopted as the state fruit in 2006.

Our judges’ verdict:

Oliver, age 6: “Tastes a little bit juicy.”

Alia, age 6:“It’s a little bit sour.”

Micah, age 9: “It tastes like an apple.”

Batch two: Sugarbee. An offspring of the Honeycrisp; also developed in Minnesota.

What did our testers think?

Oliver: “It’s sweeter than the other one.”

Malcolm, age 4: “The same as last time.”

Micah: “It, too, tastes like an apple.”

The third batch: Cosmic Crisp. Locally developed but took 20 years. It was bred for sweetness and a longer shelf life. But our judges are focused on the taste.

Their conclusion?

Oliver: “It’s super sour!”

Micah: “This time it tastes like a sour apple.”

Malcolm: “Tastes like it’s not ripe.”

And there you have it. Only one tester liked Cosmic Crisp best. But the adults, who later sampled the new variety, noted a sweet finish.

If you want to try it yourself, check your local store first. Since this is the first commercial release, supplies might be limited.