What Makes a Good Olive Oil?

Three things every extra virgin olive oil needs to have.

1.Fruitiness

Every good olive oil needs to have the aroma of fresh fruit. Olives are fruits, after all. The oil should smell fresh and fruity.

2.Bitterness

Olives are mighty bitter straight off the tree. So any fresh, high-quality olive oil must be bitter, which we perceive on the tongue.

3.Pungency

Pungency is that cough-inducing sting on the throat that’s caused by the healthy phenolic compounds in fresh, high-quality olive oil.

What makes an award-winning olive oil?

To be among the world’s best, an olive oil needs to exhibit outstanding character.

4.Complexity

Exceptional olive oils send us on an olfactory and gustatory journey through a complex bouquet of pleasing sensations..

5.Harmony

A pleasing balance in an oil sample’s quality characteristics distinguishes high-quality olive oils from the others.

6.Persistence

The qualities should linger for a while, giving the taster time to reflect on the fruity notes and complex subtleties.