Many antique apples are incomparable in cooking.
For pie, apples should be juicy and rich. If I'm going to use a single variety, I prefer the tartness of 'Rhode Island Greening', 'Bramley's Seedling', 'Northern Spy', 'Jonathan', or any 'Pippin'. For a greater depth of flavor, however, I add tangy-sweet varieties like my grandmother's favorite, 'Yellow Bellflower', or something perfumed, like 'Grimes Golden'. For a sumptuous tall pie, I cut apple quarters in thirds. I'm crazy about apple pie made with unpeeled fruit, but cooked peel is slick, and broad surfaces of peel keep nearby slices from adhering.