As season is coming to a close for most of the lychees, except Kwai Mi Pink (B3) which is still going strong, decided to do my first attempt at a brix test. Here are the contestants:
The order of ripening of these cultivars was, first Brewster, second Kaimana, third Sweetheart, fourth Kwai Mi Pink.
The brix ratings were:
Brewster: 19
Kaimana: 18.5
Kwai Mi Pink: 18
Sweetheart: 17.5
Pros and Cons of each type:
Brewster Pros: Large fruited, good rose scented taste and fragrance, very sweet.
Cons: Large seeded, very unrealiable producer in the tropics.
Kaimana Pros: Large fruited, large percentage of chicken tongue seeds, good balance of sweet and tart, reliable producer in tropics.
Kwai Mi Pink (B3) pros: Very reliable and prolific producer in the tropics. Very late season.
Cons: fruits a bit on small side. Flavor not as complex as other types. Unusual pink color may not be a big hit for commercial production as people mistakenly think it's not fully ripened.
Sweetheart Pros: Very large fruited, very juicy, nice tasting, large percentage of chicken tongue seeds.
Cons: very soft texture. Production light, at least for first producing year.