To me the source of the apple matters a lot more than the breed itself. Put another way: there is a high variance in the quality of apples independent of the breed.

The absolute best apples I've ever had were pick-ur-own at a well-regarded apple orchard in Connecticut. I believe they are McIntosh although it could also be macoun. Every apple is crisp (not mealy), sweet and tart, with a thin skin and lots of flesh.

The big disappointment for me was moving to california, in an area without pick-your-own. How do I put it? The vast majority of apples in supermarkets here are abysmal. The granny smiths were often mealy and not tart at all! It wasn't until I went to a boutique grocery (Monterey Market in Berkeley) that I finally tasted apples in the same category as the ones I grew up with.

Reading the descriptions on this site, I don't really recognize their descriptions. Mcintosh has a thick skin? Ummmm.