Golden Russet is vigorous, productive, and a reliable annual cropper (an uncommon quality for an heirloom). It is resistant to scab and cedar-apple rust, but susceptible to fireblight. Care should be taken when pruning, as this is a tip-bearing tree.

This apple is one of the most prized among apple connoisseurs, ranking with Cox's Orange Pippin in terms of flavor quality. It is a medium-sized apple that is russeted bronze over greenish gold and speckled with white lenticels. The flesh is creamy and dense, yielding a rich, aromatic juice that is high in sugar and acid and low in tannin. Golden Russet is highly esteemed among cider makers for its ability to reliably produce excellent juice, and it is often used for single-variety ciders. The fruit stores exceptionally well, remaining crunchy and flavorful throughout winter. Tasters often describe the flavor of Golden Russet as "nutty," but this doesn't even begin to capture the delightful intensity of its honeyed sweetness. (From WSU: Tannin (percent tannic acid): 0.10; Acid (percent malic acid): 0.66; pH: 3.58; SG: 1.061; ^oBrix 15.4.)

"Golden Russet" is one of the more difficult varieties to pin down. Over the years, dozens of different apples have been so named and contradictory descriptions of the various Golden Russets abound; In Apples of North America, Tom Burford says that he once made a list of more than twenty apples that have been referred to as Golden Russet. These days, there appear to be two commonly-sold variants in North America. The Golden Russet from Cummins Nursery ripens later than the other variant–at the end of October in upstate NY. The russeting is extensive, with almost no smooth patches. It is closest in form to what Beach in Apples of New York calls "Bullock" or "American Golden Russet."