Macoun Apple

Macoun was bred by Richard Wellington at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva (part of Cornell University), a deliberate cross of McIntosh and the dark-skinned Jersey Black, with the Jersey Black parent lending Macoun its distinctive nearly-black, purplish-tinted skin. It was named after W.T. Macoun, a prominent Canadian horticulturalist (pronunciation varies — sometimes said "Ma-cown," sometimes "Ma-coon"), and released commercially in the early 1920s (sources differ on the exact year, with some citing 1923 and Wikipedia citing 1932 for its formal introduction). The fruit has firm, snow-white, juicy flesh with a sweet flavor carrying a genuine hint of berry, and it is widely regarded by longtime apple enthusiasts as one of the best-tasting members of the broader McIntosh family — arguably improving on McIntosh's own texture while preserving its aromatic, wine-like character. It has never achieved the same broad commercial distribution as some of its McIntosh-family relatives, remaining more of a beloved regional specialty particularly in the Northeastern United States, where it typically reaches markets each September and often sells out quickly given its devoted following.