A tasting is the evaluation of the flavour and aroma of an olive oil, but other senses such as sight and touch are also involved. Today we share a brief manual for tasting extra virgin olive oil with all five senses, or at least four of them.
Tasting olive oil with the five senses
Let's start with the sight, and specifically the colour. Depending on the oil, it can appear more greenish (traditionally associated with early-harvested olives and more herbaceous flavours) or more yellow and golden. Despite certain commonplaces in the world of oil tasting, there are usually no clear correlations between colour and flavour: blends and varietals have a lot to say in this regard and it is important that colour does not influence our perception of flavour.
In oenology, there is a legendary study from the University of Bordeaux in which students were asked to describe the colour of a red wine and then taste it. They all defined the wine as red when in reality it was not: it was a white with colouring. Our perception of colour influences our interpretation of flavour. So it is extremely important to look at the colour of the oil but keep our perception open to the rest of the senses.
It is also good to pay attention to the opacity of the oil, its density as it moves through the glass and slides down the glass walls. This is called viscosity. A high viscosity indicates a high degree of fatty acids in the composition, which is not necessarily a bad attribute in an oil, since these molecules are the main transmitters of flavour.
The mouthfeel of olive oil
The main attribute to be assessed when tasting is the oil's consistency and density, which also gives us information about the purity of the oil and its possible uses in cooking. It is not the most important element, but it must be taken into account because an oil without consistency is of poor quality and may not work very well in our dishes.
The aroma in an oil tasting
Aroma is a key dimension of tasting because, in reality, our sense of taste is quite poor, we can only distinguish half a dozen flavours (and it depends on who you ask). Our sense of smell, on the other hand, perceives many more nuances. That is why when we have a cold we do not notice the flavour in the same way (or we do not notice it at all).
To capture all the nuances more easily, we oxygenate the oil by pouring it from a certain height and swirling it around in the glass. It is similar to what we do when we want a wine to breathe. We put our nose in the glass and inhale.
Once in the mouth, it is possible to smell the oil again to confirm or contradict our olfactory impressions.
The taste when tasting extra virgin olive oil
One of the keys to tasting is dissociation: stop thinking that you are smelling extra virgin olive oil and interpret it as other aromas. If we forget that oil tastes like oil, we will be able to describe its flavour with some precision.
- Is it reminiscent of green fruits or ripe fruits, does it tend to be harsh or sweet? We are evaluating the fruitiness of the oil.
- Is it bitter or not? Does it sting? Can you taste it in your throat? It is very characteristic that olive oil from olives that are still green sticks to us and leaves a lasting aftertaste once swallowed.
- Do you notice a musty taste? The olive has probably been stored for too long. A prevalence of this attribute indicates a musty oil.
- Perhaps you notice a rancid note, with hints of dried or cured meat? That means that the oil is too old and has oxidized.
Try tasting your next order of OrigenOliva and compare your own tasting with our notes on the website.
What do your senses perceive? Don't hesitate to tell us!
