This one's a winner!
TEXTURE-Creamy with a silky mouth feel. Very pleasant.
FIRMNESS-Rather firm for being yellow with dark spots.
SWEETNESS-Very sweet. Similar to Sucrier/Pisang Mas. More than a Gros Michel or ripe Cavendish. Not quite as sweet when somewhat green, but also more astringent and vegetal. Should be eaten when fully yellow.
TARTNESS- None.
RIPENESS-Yellow with some black spots and hints of green at the tips. Better this way than with more green. Still firm at this stage of ripeness.
FLAVOR-There is a slight floral and vegetal taste to it, though less than in a Sucrier and without the aftertaste I get from Sucrier. It is a bit like if Gros Michel, Sucrier, and Rose were combined into one. Not quite as fragrant as Gros Michel. Mostly just sweet.
OTHER-Skin is rather thin with some strands sticking to the fruit when ripe. Fruit breaks off the hand even when green. Fruit aren’t particularly large.
OVERALL RATING-8.5-9 I tried these once a few years ago and they didn’t stand out at the time. These ones I’ve grown myself are really just delicious. Certainly in my top 5 or 10. I’d have to try this side by side with a Gros Michel to see which one I really prefer. My sense is I’d give the nod to Gros Michel, but it would be close. I had 4 for this tasting and would have had more if there were any ripe ones left. I’m planting more of these, which will be easy. They put out tons of keikis like other AA types I have (Sucrier, Rose, Kru). Just under 18 months to harvest. The plant isn’t super tall and seems impervious to everything. Weevils don’t seem to bother it, and it is planted right next to a Namwah mat that has withered, rotted, and been decimated by weevils.
SUGGESTED USE-Like you would a Cavendish. They’re so good though I’d rather just enjoy them on their own.
