Olive Oil

Our favorite premium extra-virgin olive oil from a previous tasting, Columela is composed of a blend of intense Picual, mild Hojiblanca, Ocal, and Arbequina olives. This oil took top honors for its fruity flavor and excellent balance. Tasters praised its "big olive aroma, big olive taste" with a "buttery" flavor that is "sweet" and "full," with a "peppery finish." One taster said: "It's very green and fresh-like a squeezed olive." Another simply wrote: "Fantastic."

Tasters noted this oil's flavor was "much deeper than the other samples," describing it as "fruity, with a slight peppery finish," "buttery undertones," and a "clean, green taste" that was "aromatic, with a good balance." "It has the flavor that some good EVOOs have," said one admiring taster.

Virtually tied for second place, this oil was deemed "round and buttery," with a "light body" and flavor that was "briny and fruity," "very fine and smooth," and "almost herbal," with "great balance." "Good olive flavor. I could smell it and taste it," approved one taster. In a word, "pleasant."

A clear step down from the top oils, tasters noted "overall mild" flavor and "very little aroma," with only a "hint of green olive" and a "hint of spiciness at the end." In pasta, it was initially "not complex," but gradually "bloomed in your mouth." Overall, it was "worthy of a second bite."

While some tasters found this oil "sweet" and "buttery" with "medium body" and "slight spice at the end," others complained that it had "zero olive flavor" and was "so floral it's almost like eating perfume"; still others noted a "bitter" aftertaste. In pasta, it was "extremely mild" to the point of being "boring."

Comments: The best comments tasters could muster were "mild" and "neutral." Some liked it on pasta (though one called it "Snoozeville"), but complaints were myriad: "metallic," "soapy," "briny," "hints of dirt." Carped one taster, "I can't imagine what is in here, but they have a nerve calling it EVOO."

Comments: While some tasters called this oil "mild" and "smooth," others found it "thin, greasy" and "not very interesting." "I bet the cooking water had more olive flavor," speculated one taster; "could be canola-it is so bland," mused another. A few noted an objectionable aftertaste that was "soapy, chemical" or "menthol-think

While a few tasters liked this "potent" oil, others said they detected "mushroom," "rotten walnuts," "a Band-Aid wrapped in a cherry blossom," and a quality that was "downright medicinal-Triaminic, anyone?" Several deemed it "overpowering" and "musky," with a "rank, off-flavor." "Tastes not like olives but like the armpits of olive laborers," shuddered one.

Italy, Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, and Syria Comments: "Nothing remarkable here-just greasy, no flavor," summarized one taster. "Where did the olive go?" said another. This oil was judged to have a "kind of rancid" aftertaste that was reminiscent of not only "soil," "tree resin," and "ammonia and grass," but even "kitty litter smells" and "a set of sweaty hockey pads."

Although this oil won top place in a previous tasting, because olive oil is an agricultural product, it can differ from year to year. This time, tasters found it "washed out and muted," if "nice, in a totally bland and unremarkable way." Tasted plain, objections ranged from "insipid, with no real complexity" to "tastes like EVOO mixed with vegetable oil."

Origin: Spain, Italy, Greece, and Tunisia Comments: "Boring" and "not very complex," this oil came across as "plastic-y and industrial; some hint of olives, but it fades quickly." Tasters identified off-flavors that were "unpleasant, dirty," "like rubber and metal, with a sour aftertaste," or at least "a bit funky," with a "strange taste" that was "spicy, but in a motor oil kind of way." One simply wrote, "Blech."

This oil by North America's largest olive oil producer came in just a fraction of a point behind our imported favorite (Columela), winning out over other California oils with a similar profile: full, fruity olive flavor and little bitterness or pungency. "Lovely, nutty, and fruity," with notes of "lemon," "vanilla," and "honey." "Quite buttery and round and almost sweet," tasters raved. "The aftertaste is fresh, pure olive."

"Green, pungent, and moderately bitter," agreed tasters. "Tastes like it's fresh," with a "spicy, peppery aroma and a buttery aftertaste" and notes of "fennel/licorice," "green apple," and "green grass"; flavors are "harmonious" and "balanced," "surprisingly sweet," "like fresh peas." "Smells like sun-warmed hay, very clean and soft." One taster simply wrote: "Olive-y goodness."

A blend of mild, late-harvest Mission olives with peppery, early-harvest Ascolano olives, this oil impressed tasters as "buttery, not bitter at all," "not pungent" but "mild," "smooth," "floral," like "roses," with a "fruity aroma" and notes of "passion fruit, pineapple," and "melon" with a "nutty" finish, "like walnuts." "Nice flavor, more complex than most."

"Unusually fruity," this olive oil "tastes like olives in a fruity, rounded way." Tasters found it "apple-y and fresh, with a peppery kick" and "strong," with "cut-grass," "clover," or "grapefruit" notes. "Tastes like it smells." One summed it up as "slightly too bitter, but perfectly balanced potency."

"Wow, it sure does taste like fresh olive oil. Reminiscent of green herbs and artichokes. I like it," wrote one happy taster. "Complex and almost zesty," agreed another. Others found this blend of Italian olives too "harsh" and "bitter" in a way that "overpowered the fruitiness" and was "very peppery, sharp, and pungent," though one taster noted, "It grows on you. Bitter at first, but mellows nicely."

"Yikes!" "Quite pungent, very bitter flavor, like olive leaves and pits," "like swallowing an M-80 of cayenne," "horseradish strong!" "like fresh ground peppercorns," or "rosemary grass." "Tastes quite young," wrote one taster; "like a peppered apple," "full bodied," and "almost too potent," said others. In sum: "The bitter taste is bullying the fruity one."

"Light and fruity," this oil started out tasting "subtle" and "buttery." "Really tame," said one taster, while others remarked on "citrusy" or "lemony" notes. Several were turned off by a "viscous," "greasy" texture and a slightly "musty" smell, as well as a "harsh," almost "sour" aftertaste that was "sharp" and "stays with you." One taster concluded, "Everything in balance but meek and mild."

"Extreme peppery kick with a lot of bitterness," "super-green," "very pungent," "robust," and "not for the faint of heart," this "complex" oil had "big fruit and spice," with tasters describing "unripe flavors" and notes of "artichokes," "lemon," "grass," "hay," and "olive leaves." Some tasters picked up off-notes, including a hint of "copper penny" or "gasoline." "Astringent" and (to some) "overwhelming," it was also "vaguely nutty," "like cashews."

"Spicy yet smooth," this mellow oil was described as either "mild" or "dull," depending on the taster. While some called it "floral" and "delicate," "buttery, almond-y, and nutty," others deemed it "nothing special" or "bland," "like canola oil," "somewhat flat," with "little body, hardly any flavor" and "slight vanilla/cherry notes." "Very surprising that this is extra-virgin," said one taster.

Tasters described this oil as having "fruity flavor that was mild and fleeting," with a "really sharp and bitter" finish that was "strong and lasting" and "overpowered the fruity, vegetal" flavors; "just too bitter," "almost inedibly so." One taster summed it up as offering "too little flavor, a lot of bite," though another noted, "too strong by itself, but I love the taste of this oil with bread."