How to Taste Olive Oil

How to Taste Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In this article we will give some expert advice on a question we often get asked: how to taste olive oil.

Although we usually find the writing extra virgin in all bottles, only a small percentage truly is!

We hope that the information in the article will give you some new ideas the next time you try one of our two organic extra virgin olive oils .

How to Taste Oil EVO

EVO oil tasting (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) also called "panel test", and is the process of tasting and evaluating different characteristics of an olive oil, such as aroma, flavor and consistency, in order to determine its quality and to verify whether an oil is truly extra virgin or has defects.

Tasting is a common practice among both cooking enthusiasts and producers of top quality oil, and is in fact often carried out during visits to oil mills and olive oil companies.

Based on the result of the tasting, the suitability of the oil as a condiment or ingredient in the preparation of higher level recipes will then be determined.

What is taken into account during an Olive Oil Tasting

During the tasting, several factors are taken into consideration, including:

• The origin of olives
• The collection method
• The manufacturing technique
• The quality of the olives
• The maturity of the olives at the time of harvest

Possible oil defects

Oil defects can mainly depend on four causes:

1. The olives were harvested too early or too late compared to the ideal ripening time.
2. The olives have been damaged, handled or stored in conditions that cause them to ferment.
3. The olives have some qualities
4. Olives have ongoing oxidative processes

Oil Tasting

The three phases of EVO tasting are:

• visual
• olfactory
• tasting

The oil is first examined visually, then smelled and finally tasted, before being evaluated based on precise criteria, such as the intensity of the characteristic flavors such as fruity, bitter, spicy, also taking into account their persistence.

What container to use

First of all we must choose an appropriate container to taste the extra virgin olive oil. The official rules, including those of COI , recommend the use of cobalt colored glass glasses, which do not allow the color of the oil to be distinguished.

The temperature of the oil for tasting

Before introducing a small quantity of extra virgin olive oil into the glasses for tasting, we must check that the temperature is the right one: between 27 and 29 °C: a condition that often requires previously warming the oil or heating the glass between hands.

Oil tasting: VISUAL PHASE

Transparency

First we focus on the clarity and transparency of the EVO. If it has a cloudy appearance, it is likely that it has not been filtered, as in the case of "natural" extra virgin olive oil.

In reality the haze, determined by the presence of the vegetation water contained in the olive, is a powerful catalyst of the oxidative process and, therefore, a factor of instability. Filtration of the oil, which must be carried out as soon as possible after extraction, aims to eliminate precisely that free fraction of water and, for this reason, is highly advisable.

Color

The color of extra virgin olive oil can vary from dark yellow (an unmistakable sign that the oil is oxidized or rancid) to light yellow, typical of oils coming from ripe olives. T he chromatic range can be said to be complete only with the more or less accentuated presence of green tones, which are determined by traces of chlorophyll and a sign that the olives were harvested in the veraison phase. For this reason, a quality extra virgin olive oil must fall within a color range between yellow tending towards green and intense green.

Oil tasting: OLFACTORY PHASE

You tilt the glass of oil until it reaches an almost horizontal position, bringing it closer to your nose: the patina of extra virgin olive oil that covers the inside of your glass offers maximum aromatic expression.

The first sensation we should experience when faced with a high quality EVO oil is the intensity of a fruity aroma or one of unmistakably vegetal origin (freshly cut grass, tomato leaf, various vegetables). Subsequently we will appreciate other more subtle fragrances – flowers, hay, spices, minerals – which add complexity to its aromatic expression.

The bulk of the tasting therefore falls to the olfactory phase, which will reveal to us whether we are faced with a great extra virgin olive oil worthy of the name or not.

Oil tasting: TASTING PHASE

To taste the oil you need to put a minimum quantity into your mouth (around 10 ml), since in the presence of an authentic extra virgin olive oil a larger dose could irritate our throat or make us cough. However, coughing a little is a good sign: we have most likely just ingested a large extra virgin olive oil!

After sipping it, spread it with the tongue throughout the mouth cavity and inhale deeply to smell the after-olfactory aromas.

First we perceive the more or less sweet, astringent or bitter taste through the taste buds located on the tip of the tongue, through which we recognize the degree of maturity of the harvested olives.

We then bring the oil to the sides and bottom of the tongue and inhale to form an emulsion that allows the other taste buds to perceive the remaining flavours: fruity, astringent, bitter and finally the slightly growing tingling sensation. Everything must form a feeling of balance.

If you don't feel the tingling sensation, we are probably dealing with a completely oxidized extra virgin olive oil in its terminal phase; but if it is too aggressive, even in this case we are faced with a defect in the oil, as it means that the olives were harvested too early.

The organoleptic characteristics perceived when tasting olive oil

The spicy

Spicy is perhaps the most discussed of the organoleptic characteristics that can be detected when tasting extra virgin olive oil. It is a taste sensation that is perceived mainly in the back of the mouth and throat, and can be associated with the presence of phenolic compounds, such as oleocanthal and tyrosol, contained in EVO oil.

The intensity of the spiciness can vary depending on the cultivar of the olives used to produce the oil, as well as the growing and production conditions. Some EVO oils can have a very strong spiciness, while others can be more delicate and less spicy.

The bitter

Bitterness is a taste sensation that is perceived mainly on the tip of the tongue, and can be associated with the presence of phenolic compounds, such as tyrosol and oleuropein, contained in extra virgin olive oil. The intensity of the bitterness can also vary depending on the cultivar of the olives used to produce the EVO oil and the cultivation and production conditions.

Depending on the type of oil, the bitter taste can be more or less marked, but it can be counterbalanced by the correct use of the oil in the preparation of food, without this compromising the quality of the oil.

The fruity

The fruity aroma, as a taste sensation, is instead perceived on the tip of the tongue and on the palate, and is associated with the aromas and flavors of the fresh, ripe olives used to produce extra virgin olive oil. In general, EVO oil is defined as "fruity" when it has a characteristic aroma and taste, which can be associated with hints of freshly cut grass, tomato, almond and other aromas.

The characteristics of the Angimbe oil cultivars

In general, tasting EVO oil involves the analysis of different elements, but each olive cultivar can have unique scents, which make it recognizable and appreciated by connoisseurs.

Nocellara del Belice olives

The oil produced from olives from the Nocellara del Belice region is a prestigious oil, its well-known hints of grass, almond, artichoke and green tomato are immediately evident when tasted. These aromas are recognized as an integral part of the distinctive characteristics of the oil produced with the olives of this cultivar.

Cerasuola Olives

When tasting the oil produced from Cerasuola olives you will notice hints of fresh grass, green tomato and bitter almond. These aromas are predominantly present in the oil produced with this olive cultivar, and may vary slightly depending on the cultivation and production conditions.

Cerasuola oil is appreciated for its complexity and its intense and persistent aromas, which make it an excellent choice as a sumptuous condiment or as an ingredient in the preparation of refined foods.

Biancolilla Olives

The oil obtained from the processing of Biancolilla olives has complex organoleptic characteristics: the color is an intense green with golden reflections, while when tasted the flavor is delicate, slightly sweet and fruity, with notes of apple, almond and artichoke, while the slightly bitter and spicy aftertaste.

Biancolilla is a very balanced oil, without predominant notes and with a good harmony between taste and aroma. As with other oils, even in the oil obtained from Biancolilla olives the characteristics can vary slightly, based on the production area and the methods of cultivation and harvesting of the olives .

The Classification of Olive Oil after Tasting

Once the tasting is completed, the oil is classified taking into account quality and suitability, with the best EVO oils receiving awards and recognition for their exceptionality.

At the Angimbe bioethical farm we carry out the panel test every year to certify to those who purchase our oil that it is free from defects, and that all the medians of spicy and fruity bitterness are in line with the average values ​​of the best extra virgin olive oils on the market .

Furthermore, we regularly participate in national and international competitions to further certify the quality of our extra virgin olive oil with specialized panels from all over the world.

Over the years we have acquired a leaf with Gambero rosso, achieved a bronze medal at the IOOC in Berlin, and participated in the Olio Capitale competition in 2023.

How to Taste Angimbe Oil

Now that you know everything about how to taste extra virgin olive oil, you can put the knowledge you have learned to the test by ordering Angimbe Natures BIO and N-Tone Monocultivar Oil from our online oil shop and organizing a tasting directly at your home!