nctomatoman's tasting thread - Major tasting with Lee July 20 - updated

**nctomatoman** · July 7, 2011

Tomatoes are piling up, so I decided that Sue and I would have a mini tasting. We tasted:

Indeterminate and other non-dwarf project varieties:

Isis, Shazka, Brandywine, Not Indian Stripe, Cherokee Chocolate, Vzryv, Kimbery and Russian Queen

Dwarf Project varieties: Sweet Adelaide, Rosella Crimson 08-50, Tasmanian Chocolate 2582, Coorong Pink, Sarandipity, Dwarf Kelly Green 10-77, Dwarf Blazing Beauty 2850.

So, a total of 15 varieties.

I tasted them twice, and Sue and I tasted them together - I could then see how consistent my impressions were, as well as how they compared to Sue's.

Winner of the tasting - Brandywine - we both loved it (it was from 1995 seed and can be traced back to the Sudduth origin that Ben Quisenberry brought into the SSE collection) - I rated it an 8 the first time, 8.5 on the retaste.

But - very close and nearly indistinguishable were Rosella Crimson 08-50 and Sweet Adelaide and Coorong Pink. I ranked them all 8 the first time around. They are simply delicious tomatoes - and grow on these puny little 3 foot tall plants....!!

Close in flavor - excellent but maybe more of a 7.5-8 in flavor ranking - Tasmanian Chocolate and Dwarf Kellly Green and Cherokee Chocolate - the first two of which are also from the Dwarf project. And the first of the Blazing Beauty fruit, not quite what we are looking for in size or color, was just delicious (only 3 ounces, we are aiming for 6-8, and a deep yellow or pale orange, where we are aiming for a deep orange).

Kimberly (only one fruit and only I tasted it) was quite good - a solid 7, and to me tasted better than Fruhe Liebe. I also liked Isis (the bicolor cherry), which was on the tart side - I haven't tried one in many years!

The dwarf Sarandipity was good, as I expected - just a nice balanced tomato flavor, but got lost in this set of tomatoes - came out in the 6.5 range.

The medium round early varieties Shazka and Vzryv, Not Indian Stripe, and Russian Queen were all average tasting - maybe 5.5 to 6, and not distinguished in this tasting.

I will attach some pictures. The pics are labeled with 12 o'clock first, going clockwise, for each set.

starsevol · July 7, 2011

Craig, thank you so much for this thread.
I am always interested in reading about tastings, being the newbie I am.

I am only growing Matt's Wild cherry, one red brandywine plant, and 2 cherokee purples this year, but I plan to go to a farmer's market this August/September and buy every type of op tomato I find, and take them all home and taste test every one of them!

**nctomatoman** · July 9, 2011

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...756#post222756

Another tasting today - posted the pics in the dwarf area, here is the link

matereater · July 10, 2011

Craig, looks like your highest rating this season is an 8.5. Have you had any in previous years with a higher rating and if so what?

p.s. enjoy you posts and videos, keep up the great work!!

**nctomatoman** · July 10, 2011

I leave plenty of room at the top of the ratings, esp. when tasting first picked of the year - the flavors I am getting are actually outstanding for early harvested fruit - Sungold gets a 9 already.....I can see Cherokee Purple and Chocolate, Brandywine, Rosella Purple all being 9 rated tomatoes.....we've tasted 40, but have 140 varieties left to taste!

Thanks for the kind words, Steve!

**nctomatoman** · July 10, 2011

Very interesting tasting today! Including a brand new tomato color in the dwarf line!

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=18983

Medbury Gardens · July 13, 2011

oh wow the summerheat that you are getting Craig seems a world away from what we are getting in this part of the plant,my area is not getting so much of the snow thats effecting higher parts of NZ but it become so wet with lots and lots of rain.

akgardengirl · July 14, 2011

Ugh...that will be happening here soon enough.
Sue B.

BigBrownDogHouse · July 14, 2011

Shucks!
I'm still just in the green onion and jalapeno tasting stages!

creister · July 14, 2011

That almost looks nice since we will the 35th day of over 100 degrees, and the extreme drought continues. Many of the days that are not 100 sit at 99 or 98. Many of the old timers say they haven't seen it this hot where it started so early (April). I've only lived in Abilene 8 years, but by far the hottest and driest year in that time period.

**nctomatoman** · July 20, 2011

Big tasting today!

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...687#post224687

July 9, 2011	#3
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...756#post222756 Another tasting today - posted the pics in the dwarf area, here is the link __________________ Craig

July 10, 2011	#4
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	Craig, looks like your highest rating this season is an 8.5. Have you had any in previous years with a higher rating and if so what? p.s. enjoy you posts and videos, keep up the great work!! __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

July 10, 2011	#5
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	I leave plenty of room at the top of the ratings, esp. when tasting first picked of the year - the flavors I am getting are actually outstanding for early harvested fruit - Sungold gets a 9 already.....I can see Cherokee Purple and Chocolate, Brandywine, Rosella Purple all being 9 rated tomatoes.....we've tasted 40, but have 140 varieties left to taste! Thanks for the kind words, Steve! __________________ Craig

July 10, 2011	#6
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Very interesting tasting today! Including a brand new tomato color in the dwarf line! http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=18983 __________________ Craig

July 20, 2011	#11
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Big tasting today! http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...687#post224687 __________________ Craig

July 7, 2011	#2
starsevol Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 27	Craig, thank you so much for this thread. I am always interested in reading about tastings, being the newbie I am. I am only growing Matt's Wild cherry, one red brandywine plant, and 2 cherokee purples this year, but I plan to go to a farmer's market this August/September and buy every type of op tomato I find, and take them all home and taste test every one of them!

July 13, 2011	#7
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	oh wow the summerheat that you are getting Craig seems a world away from what we are getting in this part of the plant,my area is not getting so much of the snow thats effecting higher parts of NZ but it become so wet with lots and lots of rain.

July 14, 2011	#8
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	Ugh...that will be happening here soon enough. Sue B.

July 14, 2011	#9
BigBrownDogHouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Northern Illinois ZONE 5a...wait now 5b Posts: 906	Shucks! I'm still just in the green onion and jalapeno tasting stages!

July 14, 2011	#10
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	That almost looks nice since we will the 35th day of over 100 degrees, and the extreme drought continues. Many of the days that are not 100 sit at 99 or 98. Many of the old timers say they haven't seen it this hot where it started so early (April). I've only lived in Abilene 8 years, but by far the hottest and driest year in that time period.