Tasting Olive Oil

Every olive oil we have is of the highest quality. Since they are comparable, it is up to you to decide which one tastes best to you. The simplest way to taste an olive oil is to pour a little pool of oil in a saucer and dip in a morsel of good crusty white bread.

Olive oil is judged by its bouquet and taste alone. For example, an oil is termed fruity when its flavor and aroma are similar to that of a mature olive. Don't bother with its color. Some people have heard that good olive oil is always green. However, the color of the olive oil is never a tasting factor. Professional tasters even use blue glass containers so that their judgment will not be affected by the color.

Good flavor is the result of picking healthy fresh fruit at the optimum stage of maturity. All oils after pressing seem fruity, but in most cases, this characteristic disappears after a few months. Authentically fruity oil maintains this characteristic aroma through time. The differing properties of individual oil depend on the ripeness of the olives when harvested, how they were kept and how the oil was extracted.

See also

• Which olive oil should I choose?
• A common sense guide to olive oil
• Olive oil: Reading the label
• How healthy is olive oil?
• What factors make the best olive oil?
• The olives behind the oils
• The ugly truth about Italian olive oil (NY Times article)

Our olive oil selection

We have listed below all of the olive oils that we carry, along with descriptions of their flavors and uses. 

Product	Olive varieties and origin	Flavor	Recommended for
Nian Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil	100% cold pressed Arbequina olive oil from Catalonia	Silky, smooth oil with no bitterness. Flavors of almonds and dried fruit	Fresh crusty bread for dipping; garden salad with tomatoes
Señorío de Vizcántar Special Selection Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Picudo, Hojiblanca and Picual from Cordoba	Complex warm and fruity flavor. First cold pressed - very low acidity	Green salads and dipping with crusty bread; good for cooking meats, stews, seafood and sautés.
Can Solivera Wild Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Balanced blend of Arbequina and Empeltre from Aragon	Medium - fruity and flavorful	Dip some crusty bread in it, or adorn a salad bowl of baby greens
Mas Tarrés Extra Virgin Olive Oil PDO Siurana	100% cold pressed Arbequina olive oil from Catalonia	It has delicate flavors of green apples, herbs and roasted almonds	It is the perfect pairing for fresh greens, sautéed garden vegetables or warm baked bread
Olivar de la Luna Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Nevadillo Blanco, from Sierra Morena in Andalusia	Fruity flavor, smooth texture, with peppery finish	Perfect oil for crusty bread and salad greens
'First Day of Harvest' Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Arbequina from Andalusia	Fresh, fruity and bursting with flavor	Enjoy it on its own, with a loaf of fresh or toasted bread
Ego Sum Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Toro Edition - Subtle	Coupage of Hojiblanca and Arbequina oils from Castilla-la Mancha	Buttery and mild with herbal, nutty flavors	Perfect for fresh salads and for sauteing vegetables and seafood.