Apparently Thomas Jefferson really liked the Spitzenburg apple. He thought it was one of the best apples, and he grew them in his own orchard.

But that was then and this is now. Tastes have changed and so has, probably, the Spitzenburg that I ate. In this twenty-first century the skin of the Spitzenburg was easily broken into. Soft and squishy is the flesh, almost like a bruised portion of a crisp apple. A wave of a ‘refreshing’ flavor came as I chewed. It was like the airy quality of an orange. After that wave, there was some mild sweetness with a spicy tang. I see why it would turn into excellent cider.

I do not concur with Thomas Jefferson’s love of the Spitzenburg, but I understand why in a time of different palettes the Spitzenburg apple would be ranked highly.

Update 11/2019: Removed my possibly incorrect statement about Jefferson’s desire to turn it into cider (not sure where I read/thought that from, but I’ve edited it out since I couldn’t find anything to link to about it). Added link to Orange Pippin’s page. Some websites/resources to learn more about Jefferson and/or the Spitzenburg apple:

• Apples of Uncommon Character by Rowan Jacobsen http://www.rowanjacobsen.com/books/the-apple-bestiary — I believe I learned about its history originally from this book.
• Orange Pippin page, also linked above. https://www.orangepippin.com/varieties/apples/esopus-spitzenberg
• Monticello website https://www.monticello.org/house-gardens/in-bloom-at-monticello/esopus-spitzenburg-apple/