New apple for me: Rubens

My wife recently brought home an apple from the grocery store (well, actually, three apples), saying these were new so she thought I should try them because they were described as combinations of the apples I like, such as Gala and Braeburn and Jazz.

They were labeled "Rubens".

Tried two, and they are pretty good, nice and crisp, but just a touch meaty, nice sweet-tart flavor, bit on the small side, but over all fairly good------except!....except both apples had a distinct musty smell when I bit in to them.

Anybody tried Rubens yet?

[Jenise]

Haven't seen them, Hoke. But I've been eating, truly, an apple a day of late and enjoying every new variety I've discovered though some of those east coast apples turned out to be a bust (which may be the fault of shipping, not the apple itself). My favorite new apple? By a long shot, hands down, it's a Washington-grown apple called Cameo. It has everything I like about red delicious (when picked properly ripe on the green side vs. the more common overripe) and green apples (like matsu, granny smith and green pippin) in a single apple: dense, crisp, starchy, tangy and sweet, in about that order. They're heaven.

Another commercial "property": http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/rubens

Thanks, Jeff.

The Gala part is apparent in the texture and taste. Since I don't know the Elstar, I don't know what that gives.

I'll have to try some Rubens from another batch to see if the pronounced musty quality is a trait, or just in the one batch I had.

It's not enough to take me off Gala and Braeburn though.