cider apples

Cider apples are apple varieties grown specifically for making hard cider rather than eating fresh.

Unlike dessert apples, they tend to be smaller, more tannic, and often unpleasantly bitter or astringent when eaten raw—qualities that contribute complexity and depth to fermented cider.

Traditional cider-making regions like England's West Country and France's Normandy cultivate dozens of specialized varieties with names like Kingston Black and Dabinett.