But doesn't using it in a lovely recipe showcasing garlic sound so much better????? Yeah, I'm a wimp.

However, I am still considering it Will keep you all posted.

I'm holding my breath, Linda.

Rick, all the garlic varieties have differences, some subtle, some not so much. I tried one of my new varieties last night. I had just de-stemmed the bulbs after curing in the greenhouse for the last two weeks and wanted to see if it was worth growing again next year. It was the Russian Red. The pungency (heat) was immediate and strong, and just when I thought I would need a sip of water, it was gone. I was left with great flavor. Some of the garlic has sneaky heat. You think it won't be much and then 20 seconds later, boom, it hits you. Some have little pungency though. I have two varieties that taste sort of like a Dijon mustard and oddly enough, one is a Creole and one is a hardneck. You just never know. That's what makes heirloom garlic such an interesting vegetable. That's also why everyone should at least taste a pinch of it raw. It'll also keep the vampires at bay.

OK, for dinner tonight I"m making chicken with preserved lemons and a chervil gremolata. I will try a bit of the minced raw garlic before I mix it with the other ingredients. Stay tuned

Do tell us what the variety is, what the flavor is and rank the pungency on a scale of 1 (no heat) to 10 (take me to the emergency room!). There is actually no garlic rated over an 8 in pungency, so you'll be OK, Linda.

Good to know, Ken. So if 10 is "take me to the emergency room", is 8 "just have the paramedics nearby"?

No, but a glass of cool water might be a good idea. Tell me the hardneck you are using tonight, and I will give you a hint of what to expect. In previous years I actually included information about whatever variety(s) I was shipping, with flavor/pungency ratings and other things about those varieties. I simply have now become so busy growing and shipping tropical plants, I don't have the time to do that any longer. Also, every year that passes, I seem to go slower and slower, and it takes me forever to get anything meaningful done.

We are going to use the Bogatyr. I will have water standing by! I will ask my husband for his rating, as well.

I understand completely about going slower every year. I can't remember what it was like to actually accomplish everything I set out to do in a week. Sigh...

Edited to say we just tried the garlic. Michael and I both rated it between 4-5 in terms of pungency. A quick little hit on the first taste that dissipates very quickly. We also observed that the innermost peel was quite thick--perhaps due to the fact this garlic hasn't been stored for long?

It would be fun to do a side-by-side comparison with the different varieties we grow. We will be harvesting our garlic here probably in the next few weeks, so we may have to consider that.

We are very happy with this addition, and look forward to growing it out this fall. Will use the few smaller heads for cooking now .

Thanks, Ken!

The Bogatyr is a great garlic to start your taste-test on, Linda. It is very flavorful but very low in "heat". I don't think you'll even need that water.

The Bogatyr was a lovely garlic flavor. Our chicken dish had some thinly sliced garlic in with the chicken while it was simmering, and the gremolata had raw garlic with the citrus. The sliced garlic was so sweet and mild after cooking, and the minced garlic in the gremolata gave just that little hint of stronger garlic.

Even my mom didn't think the garlic was too strong, and she is VERY picky LOL.

And you were right, Ken--I didn't need the water after my taste test

Thanks for sharing some of your wonderful garlic with us.....I'm so excited to have some new varieties!

Picked up my garlic at the Post Office today. Looking forward to a taste test soon.

I just tried the Shilla hardneck in some soup (and a nibble raw). Even better than the Maiskij Hardneck! More flavor.

I see what you mean about a brief heat ... and then gone.

I've already figured out that I'll need to accept the loss or distance if friends who can't stand garlic-breath. And that I need to grow LOTS of garlic in the future!

That's what is great about garlic, Rick. Like liquors and wines (and I guess even beers), each of us determines what is best or at least what we like. Some folks like subtle garlic flavor and some want it to really pop (and be able to taste it the next day ). Some love Cajun and Thai food and thus love the "heat" of bold garlic. Some want "sneaky" pungency without the need for a glass of water.

By the way, I am completely sold out and unfortunately will (again) have to disappoint some people. I thought I had enough for everyone (not the Creole though) but I won't. Damn! The good news is that all the ATP orders will be filled. My friends are the ones that will take a hit. I hope they will be in a forgiving mood

Ken, I'll do what I can to become self-supporting in garlic. I really appreciate being treated royally this year with such pretty and delicious bulbs.

If I grow it this fall, I will contact you in the spring and see what your status is. Good luck with your growing. Commercial growers in Oregon grow a lot of it and I would expect WA to have good climate for it as well.

Climate is only half the battle. Finding time for weeding is the other half.

It is easier for me since I am using a raised garden and am plucking any "foreign" plant out as soon as I see it raise its head.

Ya'll are making me very hungry.

Glad to hear Rick's assessment of 2 varieties that I've received. I am definitely expanding my garlic bed this fall. Giving up strawberry bed for lack of yield, and donating the extra space to garlic.

And the snails, slugs, and birds don't bother the garlic. I understand y'all still have vampires roaming up there. With all the garlic used in the South, vampires have pretty much been wiped out here.