1. The Glass
Blue-tinted glasses are preferred by professionals for tasting oil. Why blue? To keep them from focusing on color, which is not indicative of quality. At your tastings, you can use whatever colour glasses you like.
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2. Put some in your glass
Spoon a little oil gently into the glass.
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3. Swirl the glass in your hands
This is the time to draw out the aromas. Place your hands around and over the top of the glass. Swirl it gently so that the oil coats the sides.
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4. Breathe in the aromas
Stop and take your time detecting the nuances. Think about how it smells. Is it green? Ripe? Earthy? Fruity? Does it smell like nuts? Write down your initial impressions so you can compare the oils.
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5. Let the flavours cover your tongue?
Let it seduce you! Sip enough to appreciate the flavour and hold it on your tongue for a few seconds. Breathe in slowly to help release the flavours and avoid missing any aromas. Close your mouth and breathe out through your nose.
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6. What notes do you perceive?
Detect all the nuances. Apple? Tomato? Herbs? Bitterness? Nuts? Spices? Do you feel any bitterness on your tongue? Pungency in the back of your throat?
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7. Level of complexity
Concentrate on the sensations to detect more complex notes. Is it balanced? Does one aroma dominate all others? Write down the details so you can compare it with other olive oils.
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8. Try another oil
Cleanse your palate before trying the next olive oil. Sparkling water or apple slices work well.
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Positive Characteristics Extra Virgin Olive Oil Must Have
FRUITY
The fruity characteristic of an olive oil refers to the aromas of green or ripe olives and other fruits, herbs or vegetables. The olfactory sensations may remind you of artichokes, aromatic herbs, grass or even green apples or tomatoes. Notice the aromas – they could be green grass, tropical fruits, spices like cinnamon and of course ripe green olives.
BITTER
Bitterness is an acquired taste found in foods like salad greens, black coffee and dark chocolate, and it creates an acrid sensation in the mouth.
If you have ever tried a fresh olive right from the tree, you will be familiar with its strong, bitter taste. Olive oil is made with uncured olives, so the bitterness varies depending on the kind of olives used. Oil made from ripe fruits has little or no bitterness, while oil made from greener, less ripe fruit could have a stronger more bitter flavour. Exploring more robust olive oils is a great way to broaden your range of flavours and culinary horizons.
PUNGENT
Olive oil aficionados delight in this wonderful characteristic of olive oil, similar to that of spicy chilies and very attractive to those who appreciate it.
This characteristic creates a burning sensation in the mouth and throat and you need only swallow a tiny amount to fully appreciate it. The spicy sensation may be mild – a light burn – or so intense that it makes you cough.
