Tasting olive oil properly takes about five minutes and a small glass, and it will change the way you buy the stuff for good. We taste every batch at the counter before it goes on the shelf, and the difference between a fresh oil and a tired one is obvious once you know what to look for. Here is how we do it.
Warm it and smell it
Pour a tablespoon of oil into a small glass and cup it in one hand to warm it, then cover the top with your other hand and swirl gently. Warm oil releases its aroma, and cold oil hides it. Lift the glass to your nose and smell. A good fresh oil smells green and alive: cut grass, green tomato, artichoke, almond or apple, depending on the variety and the harvest. If you smell nothing at all, the oil is probably old.
Slurp, then swallow
Take a small sip and draw air in through your teeth at the same time, so the oil spreads across your tongue and reaches the back of your mouth. It feels strange the first time and then it makes perfect sense. Swallow, and wait a moment for the catch at the back of the throat. That little burn is not a fault: it is the sign of the antioxidants that keep an oil fresh, and the freshest oils have the most.
Fruity, bitter and peppery
Fruity, bitter and peppery are the three good signs, and a well-made oil has all three in balance. Fruity is the smell and taste of fresh fruit and green vegetables. Bitter shows on the sides and back of the tongue, and it is a sign of a young, healthy oil rather than a flaw. Peppery is that catch in the throat. The bad signs are easy to spot once you know them: musty, waxy like crayons, or stale like old nuts, and any of those means the oil has gone past its best.
Taste it with us
The best way to learn is to taste a few side by side. Try our Coratina, which is grassy and peppery, our Arbequina, which is mild and buttery with green apple, and our lemon pressed oil, which is bright and zesty, and you will feel the difference in a single mouthful. New season oil arrives in January, so that is the moment to buy. Tasting Saturdays at the Bristol deli run 11am to 3pm, and there is no need to book.
