i have to say my very first VdB off the tree that i have grown. the first bite just shocked me to the core. the intense taste of raspberry.. the nice crunch of the seed and the fact this is fig that i have grown. not to mention, i never actually grown anything i ate before to that point. that fig will live forever in my mind.

what's yours?

Pete,

I have a few like the RDB, Blanche De Deux and the one I gave away to a family member and it was labeled as Dauphine.

If I can speak for Jon and Jason they would tell you theirs were seven different strains of Brown Turkey.

BT i had must have been 8th one, 'cause it wasn't much to write home about :)

Jason loved his BT so much that he cut it up to share with everyone. The Atlanta landfill will soon be an orchard. :)

 My favorite (so far) has been the Preto from Sue V. It has been speculated that it might be BM. If it is, I can see why people love it so much.

Pete - Hard to beat a nicely ripen main crop VdB in early to mid Sept. Primarily for this reason, I am down sizing to focus on the special ones. Pointless to have many so-so's.

I have tasted only 5 or 6 and varieties so far Vdb is the winner for me, so I am thrilled I got some cuttings...ah, cannot wait until fruits come.   Wonder if I could plant it in the ground  here in Seattle or have to have it in pots...(see my back is wacko- I know I won't be able to be picking them up to hide them- have to make some plans here)

Grasa,

When in doubt why not have two?
One in the ground and the other in a pot for insurance?

Could end up being a win win.

my back also about had it. too many break falls from martial art, and i didn't do them right. i was at the HD the other day and saw some hand trucks with long bed. wasn't too expensive. i might have to get some next year.

So far Black Maderia is the nicest for me so far followed by a local scilian red that was like eating jam.

I bought a regular hand truck and use rachet straps to hold the pots on and I have been ok to move a half 55 gallon barrel filled with potting mix and a 35 gallon pot full of mix (both half trees)  and I haven't have problems, the hardest part has been getting it to the rolling point but that's not too much of a problem so far.

My local Havasu unknown is my favorite so far.  It's a big fig, not overly sweet, but with good texture and a subtle flavor that I personally really like.  Also...it roots and grows really easily for me, so that's a big plus also.

Starting over in a new location last Fall, I have several new trees from friends that may compete for that position next year though.  One is a green unknown from thisisme.  I only got one fig off it this year, but it was really good.

Black Madeira.. i hope i don't kill them over the winter. they all did great this year. rooted fine, grew great, put on figs which i knocked off.. been eyeing them since i first joined the forum. jon's picture was good enough to hook me on them. maybe i'll taste them next year. then there is Fico Preto.. it's amazing that one survived. the branch of cut off during the shipping, but it put out new branch from under the soil. definitely lookiing forward to those next year.

hear a lot of black madeira (does this fig have black wood?) or I wonder if it came from Madeira (an island near Portugal)...

when i was at Joe Morles picking out my first trees, he let me try a White Triana. WOW!!!
up until then i had never eaten a green fig with a red inside. needless to say, i bought one along with 5 other varieties...

grasa,

feast your eyes on following link :)

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=20491205&postcount=1

hey Grasa, i've wondered the same thing. Being Portuguese, i'm  fascinated with collecting the different varieties from Portugal.
i have just 1 variety that is a unknown dark fig brought here in the early 70's from Sao Miguel in the Azores from an old friend of the family.

A properly, very ripe "Atreano".  I had two of these a few years back.  I let the figs hang until they looked deep, golden-yellow, and shriveled from the hot sun.  They were clotted with thick, figgy honey, and when I ate them, the muscles in my jaw ached!  Sweet, thick, crunchy with seeds....just heaven. 

I find it difficult to get my figs to that perfectly ripe stage.  The Gluttony part of my Seven Deadly Sins personality makes me pick them too soon.


Frank

Frank,

I have the same problem. I intend to have so many trees, I'll bound to miss some and find the hidden treasures on later days :)

Madeira set the standard in my yard last season to beat  .

Martin,

Black Madeira? Dark fig to boot :) hope you are in good health.

VdB, but I hear good things about Verte and Battaglia!  I have both in first year/rooted cutting stage, so the jury is out!  I also hear wonderful things about Galbun (1 year old tree), OC Unknown, (Huge 1 year old tree), Adriatic plain and simple, and really more than I can even post here.  My Vdb Rocks as far as juice and flavor!  Wow!!

Suzi

Black Madeira definitely number one. Col de dame (white) number 2. VdB number 3.

Based on my experience of few years with figs I still can not  tell which one is the best. I would love to hear more opinions from people with more experience!

Slavi

Martin, those figs look delish!

Martin, that fig is enough to make you not want a white fig. Can't wait until I taste  a Black Madeira.