Usually you blend various apples to get the perfect cider - sweets, sharps, bittersweets and bittersharps. If you are looking to make a varietal cider I like Golden Russet. I get a ton of orders for "Harrison" but my own tree hasn't fruited yet. There are so many choices - I've attached a link that will give you an idea of what's available.

Here is a link that might be useful: benchgraft list

Groall, I would start by reading a book on cider making and/or some webpages and then come back and ask a more focused question. The best book is Watson's "Cider Hard and Sweet". Spending $20 on this book is a worthwhile investment given how much money you will end up spending on trees, equipment, etc. The main thing you want to decide first is what kind of cider you want to make, old American type (use Harrison etc), French (Frequin Rouge, etc), English (Kingston Black etc), or other (Granny Smith etc)

Scott

Your both right about the many types of apples and the qualities of each....I have been reading more and looking at a lot of sites on the web.....a few that look interesting are...of course Golden Russet, Albemarie Pippen, Gold Rush, Ashmead's Keernel, Stayman Winesap and Wickson......still looking...so far I have been blending the ones I have....want to put a little snap into the cider

Another book I'd highly recommend is: Andrew Lea, Craft Cider Making. Watson's book is good for discussion of American apples. Lea's book only considers English apples, but is more useful in regard to the details of actually making the cider.

To the English, cider is always fermented and alcoholic. In the U.S. it's hard to know what one is talking about unless you specifically say hard or sweet. The apples you'd use would likely be completely different depending on what you were making.