Your "Best Tasting Tomato" for 2023

[Yak54]

I tried black cherry a few times, it just never did well. Sungold are a little smaller on average than sunsugar for me, but the sungold get the thicker skin that won't stretch so they crack more as soon as they get wet.

Try Sun Orange instead. Problem solved .

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

I grow Sunsugar every year. I started with Galina's many, many years ago. Loved it but had a problem getting seed one year - that was before I started saving seed. Switched to Sungold, then to Sunsugar and it's been in the garden ever since.

This year, I also grew Favor Bomb, the grocery store cherry. After a rough start, it is a massive plant loaded with simply tons of fruit, but they take SO long to ripen. Like having the mix of red/cherry cherries for salads and sauces so going to try Reinhard's Purple Sugar this next year.

[eyolf]

I see Black Cherry gets mentioned a few times. I prefer Chocolate Cherry by a small margin. My daughter saw a blurb touting "Sunchocula", which was almost cocktail sized, but didn't do well here.
There are a few small cherries/grapes that offer a variable flavor depending on ripeness and maybe even weather. Maglia Rosa, Green Tiger, and Brad's Atomic Grape come to mind. Most are kinda boring when completely ripe, unlike Sungold, Chocolate Cherry, Isis Candy, and some that become sweet and fruity, like a berry, when very ripe.

But they're best standing in front of the tomato plant while snacking.

Some of the cocktail sorts fit that bill, as well. Mountain Magic was mentioned, and I think this is just personal preference, but I like bolder flavor. But most of the Kotlas/Stupicke/Matina/ etc varieties are very good to me. Glacier is on this list too but regular leaf.

Then there are tomatoes that offer a special something: this year I grew "Orange U Glad" and found it quite good for a determinate. Orange Russian (Doukhobors) was amazing, but perhaps because it is fast to deliver ripe tomatoes.
Regarding main season tomatoes, I will grant honorable mention to Astrakhansie.

But my personal favorite, "Faribo Gold heart" is always anticipated here.

[bboomer]

I have a small garden so these suggestions are much appreciated. Any winners for flavor and production in Wisconsin and neighboring areas? My regulars are Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee purple, and, now, Black Cherry--delicious but so darn small! @FarmerShawn generously shared a new variety of Mortgage Lifter seeds that were very good and prolific. He also shared a Ukrainian variety, Bolgarskoe Chudo, that was fabulous! Low production but each tomato was a treasure.
Paul Robeson was terrific but very low on production.

[MissS]

I have a small garden so these suggestions are much appreciated. Any winners for flavor and production in Wisconsin and neighboring areas? My regulars are Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee purple, and, now, Black Cherry--delicious but so darn small! @FarmerShawn generously shared a new variety of Mortgage Lifter seeds that were very good and prolific. He also shared a Ukrainian variety, Bolgarskoe Chudo, that was fabulous! Low production but each tomato was a treasure.
Paul Robeson was terrific but very low on production.

I haven't ever grown a tomato plant that didn't produce well here in Wisconsin. Daniel Burson produces well. Kellog's West Virginia is a production machine. Polish C, Elgin Pink, Brandywine, Nahuelbuta Pink, Rose and I could go on and on. My taste buds are different than yours so what tastes good to me could be awful to you. These do nicely here as to many more. There are so many wonderful varieties to try.

[OmarLittle]

I usually grow paste but my favorite this year that has bumped it's easy into my rotation is Inciardi Paste. It was productive and has a delicious balanced tomato flavor.

Salvaterra Select probably came in a close second

[Ginger2778]

Its just Rosella:

https://www.gourmetgenetics.com/tomato/rosella.html

It's one of three Gourmet Genetics varieties which has an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM)

Tim DH

If you like Rosella, you should like Garnet, it's sister very much too. And it's more productive. I do love Rosella too.

[Setec Astronomy]

For me it was Orange Strawberry, which tasted amazing. Maglia Rosa was also excellent, as always.

The last couple of years my Maglia Rosa have not tasted very good, my seeds are old, I think they were the first seeds I bought from Fred Hempel . I think I got good germination...which should be the only sign of if they are too old?

Anyway, best tasting...I'm still fairly new at this, but I think Benevento is maybe the best tasting tomato I've ever had (although later in the season they seem to develop thick skins and tend to split...my seeds are from when Fred first released it, perhaps it got refined a bit more). Also, Cherokee Purple which I only got a few of this year, was very very good.

As someone noted, maybe cherry tomatoes should have their own category...and of course "best" is so ambiguous since there are so many types of flavors; Benevento is certainly a different kind of flavor than Cherokee Purple.

[Stitchingmom]

@Stitchingmom What was your source for those Pruden's Purple seeds? I ask because you mentioned that it was one of the more prolific types, while that was one of the things that I didn't like about it - the low production. I'm definitely thinking of trying it again.

Sorry, I just saw this! I'm not going to be much help, because I got my Pruden's Purple from a trade.

[strawbaleking]

Rebel Yell. More flavor than Terhune. Both very good though.

[Gardadore]

My most prolific this year were Green Gables, Malachite Box and Dana’s Dusky Rose. Flowers set late this summer and towards the end tomatoes were rotting on the vine before ripening. Flavor wise the ones mentioned were also excellent. The rest were OK but nothing special. Tundra was very late to ripen and probably produced the most but many rotted before picking. Midnight Sun is a favorite and produced OK but flavor was not as good as last year.
I didn’t plant any cherries because I get a lot of volunteers. But this year none made it to maturity due to the weird weather. Like many of you Rosella is really the only one I usually plant. Black Cherry has disappointed in year’s past. This summer I tasted a Garnet at the Rutgers U tasting in August. That is one of the others in that Rosella breeding group and I really liked it. Because of my enthusiasm the lady cutting up the samples gave me one to save seeds from. So I have the seeds and it is on my list for next year.
Forgot to add Daniel Burson to the list for production and flavor. Must have every year. First to produce, food and productive were Thorburn‘s Terracotta. Think I have all the standouts now!