We are staying in La Honda, CA right now - just down the road from where the brussel sprout fields are located. I've cooked them 2-3 times a week the whole time we've been here and they are so much better than those I had in my youth. Part of it is freshness and the other part is that the newer strains are much milder and sweeter.
Also, seeing the workers in the fields and the amount of labor involved in the harvest has given me a much greater appreciation for what it takes to produce them.