In the St. Rita thread Pete said this: 

VdB, Calvert, St. Rita, CdDB, RdB... VdB was my very first fig that i grow myself. that one was amazing. but with too much rain, it just didn't perform this yr. very first Calvert was amazing.. but i'm not too sure at this point. it was like eating sweet tart. CdDB was pure desert fig. it had everything. to me, RdB and St. Rita both are very good, but not super sweet of anything, just very comfortable fig like Kathleen's Black and Paradiso.

Celeste, Black Triana and an unknown which is probably Hardy Chicago or close to it.

This year my favorite figs (not that I had many to choose from) were Texas Blue Giant and Italian Honey.  Celeste are always a great classic fig for me.  Absolutely love them!

Not so much what your favorite figs are, or what you grew to love, but rather which figs upon tasting for the very first time - pow - you knew it was something special.

For example, I've read that LSU purple is good for my area, but that I'll have to wait a few years for it's flavor to mature. Well, it might turn into the best fig in the world, but for this thread I'm interested in your 'show me the money now', from day one figs. :)

Aubique Petite, Hardy Chicago, and English Brown Turkey (not to be confused with those other fig varieties that contain the last two words of that cultivar that has the word "English" up front).  Since I occasionally mix up the numbers "three" and "four", I might put Battaglia Green in this category too.  (And I think this category description of "yum at first bite" is incompatible with the notion that it will be limited to just three varieties... there are lots of varieties that have this characteristic I think!).

Mike

Malta Black, Salem Dark and Battaglia.

I agree with VdB and for light fig- Adriatic JH.  It was the first light fig I ever had, and ever since, I never have been able to find a light fig that can come close to it.  Both experiences were off of two year plants.  They started out from the gate as great tasting.  I have LSU purple and gold.  People say it takes awhile for gold to develop flavor.  I am trying to be patient.

From all the northern climate, cold hardy figs we have been growing and testing here, for the last 8 to 10 years. It has to be our selection of Abruzzi. Fantastic taste from day one, growing in a 5 gallon pot. Can't imagine how much better this fig can get in the coming years, once it has been in ground for 5 years.

It's the type of fig that makes you not want to wait 365 days to taste it again.

I now understand why Aldo Biagiotti has been growing it for some 20 years, in Connecticut.

It also makes me want to start collecting and testing all the different Abruzzi figs I can get my hands on.

Although it is also being grown in tunnels in up state New York. We have not had it long enough to tell how cold hardy it will be, uncovered here.

Bob @ T. Pine zone 5b/6a Connecticut

Panache and Marseilles VSB have to go in here with St Rita.

Recantor, if you like Marseilles Black VS, then your going to love Sal's EL.

Same taste profile. But, much stronger.

Bob @ T. Pine - zone 5b/6a Connecticut

Colar

Col de Dame Grise, Ital 258, Nero 600M,and of course ,i should say Adriatic Jh,is as good as the other posters ,said it is,starting with the first fruit.

Hmmm, I'd have to say Enola 3 and Salce.  Not having tasted a great variety of figs (yet) I was surprised by the carmelized/slightly burnt sugar taste of Salce, that was definitely love at first bite.

BTW, my first RdB came this year and it was awful.  Ripened under great conditions, too.  I'm hoping the plant was too young.  I have  a Sal's EL so hopefully I'll try it in 2014.  None of my plants except LSU purple have the too young excuse any more  :)

Just 3? Well if only 3 I'd say the standouts were Blanca de Maella , Black Ischia and Preto

In my first year: Col De Dame Blanc, Nordland, and Col De Dame Blanc... LOL. The birds or someone has been stealing my black figs.
I've been waiting for this black fig to ripen for few days now. I checked on it today and it was gone!

Verdonne.

Preto

My first year with "real" figs. I've previously owned a tree that is a local variety, probably a mission type
and have had a neighbor that owned a BT I've eaten fruit from, but this was my first year growing
figs with a pedigree. Out of what fruited this year for me:

VdB >>> Panache > RdB. But none of them were bad. First year VdB is very very good and very prolific.
VdB had two distinct crops for me; end of July (not brebas) and again about now. Panache was only in
Late July ~early August. RdB was a few weeks ago. The second crop VdB are pretty special to my
novice taste buds.

Next year I hope to taste Adriatic JH, Atreano, Black Madeira, Blue Ischia, Hardy Chicago, Strawberry Verte, Vista.
The Black Madeira, Strawberry Verte and Vista actually would have each made a fig or two this year,
but they looked pretty puny to carry a fruit so they were knocked off early.

I have a young Chicago Hardy that gave it's first few figs this year, they were to die for! Especially the ones that ripened late, they were outstanding.

Niagara Black. i forgot to add that one. knock your socks off good. jammy, full of nactar, sweet... everything you can ask for in a fig.

I have three 2-year old trees in the ground here in Central Arkansas (zone7) Chicago Hardy, Celeste(?), and an unknown variety that I took as cuttings from an old bush in town. This year they each had a few fruit on them. The Celeste was OK, the Chicago Hardy was fantastic, but the surprise was the unknown - it was amazing! I have eaten lots of figs off the mother tree and they were good, but the few that ripened on this daughter tree were MUCH better tasting. Darker on the outside and redder pulp. Both the Chicago Hardy and the unknown were "to die for" this year. If they get better with time I am going to have some wonderful figs in the coming years.