Well taste/flavor is both a personal thing and dependent on the growing conditions and soil provided so what is good old fashioned flavor to one will not be the to others. And you and I can both grow the same variety and they will taste different to us. When they are picked will also make a big difference in flavor.

The link below is to one of the many recent discussions about favorite pole beans and you'll find even more info over on the Beans forum here.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Favorite pole bean discussion

Many green bean fans will say that the old-time "greasy" beans taste best, but I think the white half runners have it all -- vigor, great flavor, and they make fantastic "shelly" beans, where some immature beans are cooked with the snaps. I think that's where you get the best flavor, because the "pot liquor" created by the little beans enriches the broth. Mountaineer, White state half runners and others have flattish pods, and I think flat pod shape generally means meatier beans. The half-runners have strings, but because the pods are relatively short, the string usually come off with one pull. And don't be misled by the half-runner name; I've seen them run 10 feet.

Kentucky Wonder. That's my best bet for greenbean flavor. They do need stringing if the pods start getting big.

I think Kentucky Wonder has the best taste, but I don't grow them anymore cause I hate to string them. Also, most folks boil their beans in a couple of quarts of water. The old fashioned way is to simmer over very low heat with only a tiny bit of water to start. Then the beans cook out their own liquid. But it takes a lot longer to cook that way.

Here's a link to a site with many of those old fashioned beans. Bet you can find one you'd really like in Bill Best's listings.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Here is a link that might be useful: Appalachian Beans

My family, subsistence farmers, all grew Kentucky Wonder. To get green beans to taste like my grandmother's one would have to add so much pork belly that some modern cooks would have a coronary just reading the recipe.