Like the purple stripes, marbled purple stripes have beautiful bulbs that are dappled with purple and white blotches. Generally, they store well and have a medium to hot taste when eaten raw with a pleasant lingering aftertaste.
Bogatyr - Along with Metechi, Bogatyr is one of the most exceptional garlics the world knows with monster-sized bulbs and an even bigger heat! Yes, the heat of a bogatyr garlic (eaten raw) might leave you with a possible sweat, but the aftertaste is very pleasant and lingering one. This variety originated from Eastern Germany and was then discovered in Germany by John Swenson. Bogatyr thrives in cold winter climates and has also been field tested to produce well in warm winter climates. It is capable of yielding the largest bulbs of all the hardneck cultivars, with exceptionally large cloves. The bulb skins are purple and white pinstriped. This cultivar has a notably longer shelf life than other Marbled Purple Stripes. These great fireballs store much better, firmer and longer than the standard group and grows well in most regions of the US.
Metechi - Since technically Metchi and Bogatyr are only distinquishable from their DNA, their descriptions are generally the same. Metchi is a Marbled Purple Stripe hardneck variety that originated from the Republic of Georgia. Very diverse, this cultivar can handle cold northern climates as well as warmer southern climates. The attractive bulbs are dappled with rich purple and white blotches. Metechi have nice large cloves that are easy to peel and a long storing garlic for a marbled purple stripe. This is a very hardy and good growing variety if you desire a nice hot, robust garlic flavor profile!
Brown Rose - I remember the first time we cracked these. Mom and I looked at each other and both (at the same time) commented on how beautiful the wrappers were on these lovlies. Brownish-purple stripes, almost uniform in their decent down the bulb is most noticeable. Our rose of the garden, Brown Rose is an unclassified hardneck variety according to Ted Jordan Meredith of the Volk study of Fort Collins, CO, (2004) though usually labeled as a Marbled Purple Stripe. This variety also has some heat, but generally falls into the medium to hot category. Generally this variety is a huge producer yielding very large bulbs. Expect to get 5 to 9 cloves per bulb and 35 to 40 cloves per pound. Brown Rose usually harvest in mid to late season and can store for up to 6 months. These are great for garlic mashed potatoes!
Russian Giant - Just as the name says, these colorful beauties can get fairly large! This giant is a marbled purple stripe variety with brilliant purple colors and an above average storage capacity. It has a somewhat mild flavor with large cloves and has lovely purple-striped wrappers. Great for roasting and adding to your favorite dishes as the key flavoring.