The tartness of the Pristine Apple comes on slowly. When I first bit into it and began chewing I was like: “This Apple isn’t that tart or sweet. Meh.” And then the tartness came spontaneously. It didn’t hit my taste buds over the head with it, though.

The Pristine Apple is generally like a tone-downed version of the Granny Smith. To get an idea of it, think of a Granny Smith. Think of its tart flavor and its crisp white flesh. The Pristine Apple is like a cheap knockoff, a lesser version. It is tart, but not as tart as the Granny. Crisp, but not that crisp. Its flesh is a light yellowish green, not bright green. That is the Pristine Apple.

Because of this, I have a hard-time liking the Pristine Apple. I internally compare it to tarter apples like the Granny Smith. Other tart apples have a complexity in their flavor that the Pristine Apple lacks. Tart apples aren’t simply simple. They can have many dimensions to their flavor notes. Notes that are not present in this apple.

For a tart apple, there are better options. This isn’t a bad option, but it certainly isn’t the best one. But in the world of apples where they are quite literally hundreds of tart apples out there, you don’t have to settle for less. However, I suppose, for people that want tart but not that tart, the Pristine works. For me it doesn’t, but for you—that is for you to find out.