Franklin Cider™ Apple Tree

Franklin Cider™ is the cider apple built for serious home cidermakers in northern climates — a true bittersharp variety with the high sugar, high acidity, and high tannin profile that produces complex, structured cider with the dry finish that distinguishes great hard cider from simple sweet juice. Awarded the GLINTCAP Cider & Perry Competition Bronze Medal in 2017 and recognized as a likely successor to Kingston Black — the legendary cider-apple gold standard — Franklin Cider™ delivers that same classic bittersharp character in a far more cold-hardy and productive package. Cold hardy to -32°F, productive up to 30 bushels per year, resistant to scab and cedar rust, and ripening in early to mid-October in Zones 3B–7. A pollinator is required. Organic options available.

Bittersharp — High Sugar, High Acid, High Tannin

The bittersharp classification is the cider world’s most demanding standard — and the hardest to find in varieties adapted to northern climates. A true bittersharp apple combines high sugar for fermentable alcohol potential, high acidity for freshness and structure, and high tannins for the drying grip and complexity that make hard cider genuinely interesting. Franklin Cider™ delivers all three simultaneously in a single variety, allowing home cidermakers to press a complex, well-structured cider straight from the tree — or blend it to add depth and character to other juice.

GLINTCAP 2017 Bronze Medal — The Successor to Kingston Black

Kingston Black is the most celebrated cider apple in the English tradition — prized above almost all others for its flavor complexity but notoriously difficult to grow. Franklin Cider™ has been recognized as a likely successor: similar bittersharp profile, similar cider quality potential, and dramatically better adaptability for northern American growers. The GLINTCAP Bronze Medal in 2017 confirms the cider quality through blind competition judging — not marketing.

Cold Hardy to -32°F — The Northern Cidermaker’s Apple

Most traditional English cider apple varieties struggle in cold northern climates. Franklin Cider™ is cold hardy to -32°F and suited for Zones 3B–7 — bringing genuine bittersharp cider apple quality to home orchardists in northern regions where the great English cider varieties have historically been unavailable. Up to 30 bushels per year from an established tree, with fruit that hangs well and ripens gradually through early to mid-October for flexible harvest timing.

Why Cidermakers Choose Franklin Cider™

• True bittersharp classification — high sugar, high acid, high tannin for complex structured cider
• GLINTCAP 2017 Bronze Medal — blind competition-validated cider quality
• Likely successor to Kingston Black — the cider world’s most celebrated apple profile, cold-climate adapted
• Cold hardy to -32°F — genuine bittersharp cider quality for Zones 3B–7
• Up to 30 bushels per year — highly productive for a specialty cider apple
• Scab and cedar rust resistant — reliable production with reduced disease management