Apple vs Cherry wood preference?

Apple seems a safer bet. I have had good and bad results with cherry, but apple has always been a great choice.

I like cherry wood when i'm grilling at higher temps - grilling chicken, steaks, etc with 1/2 charcoal and 1/2 cherry wood is incredible.
 
I think some of the bitterness with cherry is if it's not completely seasoned or has the bark left on it-Green cherry wood has a very nasty, bitter odor. Green cherry bark contains hydrocyanic acid, to the point of being toxic. Eating wilted cherry leaves will kill cattle.
 
Cherry is awesome for salmon and hard boiled eggs. Of course neither of those gets smoked for very long so I can't speak to the effects on longer smokes.
 
I have used both apple and cherry on about everything. I feel cherry does a little better with beef but I think apple is better with chicken and pork. A mix of both can be very good. I have enjoyed helping at an orchard in order to get a nice applewood supply during pruning time. Maybe you have some opportunities in some outlying Chicago suburbs to do the same?
 
I like both, but would choose cherry over apple if I had to pick one.
 
Choices of wood to use are a matter of personal preference and taste.

The issue for my decision would be the type of meat being smoked.

I love Cherry because of it's flavor as well as the coloring of the meat. Smoking a light flavored meat with cherry can over-power the flavor of the meat. Great on Pork, Beef, ect. I use it on Chicken thighs and other fowl, but not chicken breasts.

I also love apple which is almost a universal smoking wood much like Alder.
 
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