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Yes there is a huge difference. Most supermarket tomatos are dull tasting and or tasteless. Heirlooms should have tons of flavor and different varieties will have different flavor profiles. Some are more acid, some are sweeter, but they should all taste like what you think a tomato should taste like. The regular tomatoes in the markets are grown not for flavor but because they are tough and transport well. Most heirlooms are much more tender and fragile. They have thinner skins.
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re: tiomano
This is true, but you can have tought flavorless heirlooms as well. The real difference in tomatoes is how thye mature. A thin skinned, juicy tomato ripens naturally on the vine. The typical thick skinned store bought product is picked pre-maturely and "gas flushed" to expedite the ripening process, which doesn't allow the pulp and the skin to naturally break down into sugars, which make it sweet.
The growers do it for transportation as well as for holding - a tougher skin means a longer shelf life.
My experience with heirlooms is that they look great but aren't worth the price. Hope this helps.
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