Keep in mind that I'm in a much different climate but Korean Giant aka Olympic is for me the most useful Asian I've grown. I have managed close to twenty other varieties over the years and have 3 others in my own orchard.

The reason it excels is because of it's unusual texture and very high sugar and the fact that it ripens quite late making it superior for storage. Those fond of the butterscotch taste of some cultivars may be dissappointed however as most years this one lacks any discernable aroma, at least to my palate. However, I've never known a fan of Asian pears who didn't love this one when I've given them a sample.

Korean Giant/Don Bae/Olympic was a huge disappointment to me - rarely set more than 2-6 fruits, while the other Asians around it would be loaded and breaking limbs with their heavy fruit loads. Yes the fruits got large, 'cause there were so few of them, but they were big, juicy, tasteless things. Mine finally succumbed to fireblight, and I'll be replacing it with another variety.
Just my experience - very different from harvestman's, but I have other friends for whom it is a top performer.

That's funny. The University of Kentucky trials rated Korean Giant as it's most promising variety in their trials a few years back.

I think all Asians run a bit tasteless these days though I used to be a big fan. Funny how tastes change as you age. Obviously if your other varieties appeal to you something weird's going on here. By tasteless do you mean no sugar?

Alan:

I think part of the problem with Asian pears is they are so darn prolific once the trees mature and they are not long-term keepers like many apple varieties, even in refrigeration. I have 3 trees: Shinseiki, Nijiseiki, and Chojuro, and in late summer we usually haul 5 bushels or so over to the county shelter, where they seem very happy to get them. I can keep Asian pears for about a month in my spare refrigerator, and that's about it, whereas the late apple varieties will keep for 6 months. When you have such a glut of fruit of one type at the same time you tend to appreciate them less. I juiced them one year in my cider press, but the juice was so sweet it was like syrup and it lacked acidity.

In my orchard, Asian pears require little to no spray care, but I always thin them heavily at least 3 times and they become quite large and beautiful. I don't bag Asian pears in ziplocks as I do most of the apples. When dead ripe, Asian pears begin to attract the giant European hornet, which bores holes in them resulting in rot around the bore hole which spreads quickly. I lose about 1/3 of the fruit to these hornet pests, but could stop it if I picked a little earlier. Asian pears are quite good even before they are dead ripe, since they contain sooooo much sugar.

It is hard for me to distinguish much difference in the flavor of these varieties, although the Chojuro, which has a russeted skin, is said to have a butterscotch flavor. With a singleton tree, you may have some pollination issues (my problem is just the opposite - oversetting), but I am pretty sure these things will set fruit in the presence of a European pear. If you can get good fruit set on one fair-size tree that will be more than enough Asian pears, since, unlike apples, they will bear heavily every year.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

The storage issue is one of the things that makes KG useful. It keeps for several months in my well house where the temps flucuate to 50 degrees. Maybe up here it stores better because it's not ripe till late Oct into Nov. I have read that it is widely considered a great storer though.

Yeah, I know...everyone I know who has KG loves it, and sings its praises, but in my orchard, it was a DOG.
Of course, there's always the possibility that what I received when I ordered the tree was not KG, regardless of what the tag read.
Maybe I'll have to re-think my stance, and re-graft it with scions from one somebody loves.

Chojuro is my favorite Asian pear(so far) - the butterscotch undertone is a reality. Shinko(Singo) is good. Niitaka oversets, even for an Asian, and requires a LOT of thinning - unless you want pingpong-ball size fruits.
I'm hoping for fruit from the other half-dozen or so Asians in my orchard this year, barring another freeze disaster like we had in 2007.

I'm in the "I Love My Korean Giant" camp -- I bought two trees from Raintree, about 15 years apart -- I bought the second one just as an insurance policy in case something happens to the original.

The fruits can be enormous, well over a pound each, softball sized. Here in SE Michigan, they ripen around Oct 1st, but will hold on the tree generally into mid to late Oct. If I don't do any thinning, I get a range of sizes from golf-ball sized to softball sized, but all are edible.

They are extremely sweet, fragrant, and juicy, with a honey/caramel/butterscotch overtone, especially on the fruits from the top, sunny side of the tree. They are fragile, and some of them, unfortunately, do split while bein picked, especially if the weather has been cool and wet.

I also find them to be a reasonably good keeper -- we tie them up in small lots of about a dozen in plastic bags, and they keep this way in the fridge until Feb or March.

If we have too many, we dry or can the extras. I have also processed them into pear sauce and pie filling (they make a good pie, keeping their shape well when cooked).

The tree for me has been hardy and trouble free. It is somewhat alternate bearing, giving a light crop one year, followed by a heavy crop the next.

For me, the Asian pear variety which has been a dog is Ya Li -- it is prolific, but lacks any real flavor in my climate. I suspect in a climate with more heat units/cooling degree days, it would have better flavor.

Another yes vote for Korean Giant. I think we had a discussion before in another thread about how Lucky's experience with it seems an anomaly. My experience with it is pretty much opposite to Lucky's. It's been (so far) unaffected by fireblight, the flavor is mild but well-liked by just about everyone to whom I've given it. It produces well nearly every year (except last Summer thanks to the big freeze) and I've stored them in the fridge until March. Some of them get pithy and develop an off taste after that length of time, but the majority taste as good as fresh. I do like the flavor of Chojuro better,though, since it has a stronger butterscotch effect; however my experience with it is very limited so far.

Dave

OK,
Y'all have all convinced me.
I'll be getting scions from a friend who gushes over it, and I'll re-graft it to the roostock shoot coming up from the base of the fireblight-killed 'Korean Giant' in the orchard this spring.

Yay, a convert!

I am looking to set up a test orchard of Asian pears. I am seeking a source for asian pear trees. Looking for 6-8 varieties and 3-5 trees of each

Anyone in the Midlantic states (VA, PA, WV) have a source I contact?

I put in about 10 different varieties and the Korean Giant so far is the only one that tastes good enough to brag about. The Chojuro grew and produced like a weed and tasted like cardboard. I cut it down and put in another KG. I'm going to cut down my Ya-Li soon and put in a third KG. Maybe I'll do the same with the others if they don't get better with maturity. I'll thin more heavily next year and see what happens. My feeling is why bother with hamburger when you can have steak. FYI, I'm near Rochester, NY

Is Korean Giant and Olympic the same? I have a Korean Giant tree that comes from hiddenspringsnursery and the pear are rusted green color and the skin is thick.

Pure white texture and the most sweet pear that I have tasted. But storage is about a month and lose the taste after that.

Is your Olympic the yellow color and the skin is very fragile?

KG and Olympic are the same pear. They last in my fridge for months and don't lose their taste. But they aren't really all that tasty to start with. Not like a good apple.