Tasting a high-quality EVOO is a pleasure for our senses, and not only for taste; smell also plays an important role due to the extraordinary aromas it provides, both when consumed raw and in dishes prepared with it.
What is aroma?
In everyday use, this term refers to the smell of a fragrance or perfume, generally pleasant, perceived through the sense of smell, via our nose and nasal passages, traveling through the olfactory system to be processed and recognized by our brain.
The human sense of smell is very limited compared to other species such as cats, dogs, and birds, to name a few. Traditionally, it was believed that a person could distinguish around 10,000 aromas, but recent studies claim that the human nose can distinguish no less than one trillion aromas.
This ability is extremely important as it helps detect and evaluate the good condition of food or recognize dangers such as gas leaks or the smell of fire. Likewise, aromas, like flavors, can be linked to memories to recall events, places, or people from our past.
Aromas in EVOO tasting
It is worth remembering that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is obtained exclusively from completely healthy olives and extracted only through physical mechanisms. The fruits must be harvested at the optimal point of ripeness and properly handled throughout the production process. Only in this way can we obtain the highest-quality olive juice, preserving all its attributes, including the aromas and essences of the olive fruit.
The intensity of these aromas is one of the most important indicators when determining EVOO quality. The variety of different essences we can find in an oil indicates its complexity, and the more distinct aromas we can recognize, the more complex the liquid gold we are tasting. In tasting, as in simple sampling, these aromas are complemented by the optimal degree of bitterness and pungency, making the oil harmonious and balanced.
In this article, we will focus only on the main aromas found in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, while noting that many more exist depending on olive variety, climate, harvest timing, or production process, all factors that can influence the aromatic range of a particular oil.
Negative aromas
While this article emphasizes the “positive aromas” that make Extra Virgin Olive Oil so delightful, we must also highlight other odors that indicate an oil is of low quality or not in optimal condition for consumption. In fact, in the tasting panel that determines EVOO classification, these “negative aromas” are carefully considered and decisive for an oil to earn the highest distinction. These aromas are not intrinsic to the oil itself but arise from the condition of the olives during harvest or deficiencies in production, handling, or storage.
Unpleasant aromas may include mushroom or wet wood, mainly due to the use of frozen olives from nighttime frost causing degradation; vinegar or sour tomato, caused by fermentation of the paste obtained after crushing the fruit; manure when olives themselves ferment before crushing; earthy smell from olives picked from the ground; varnish or paint characteristic of old or rancid oils; or banana peel, which causes excessive astringency.
Positive aromas
Olive: It may seem obvious, but not all olive oils remind us of the fruit variety from which they come, something crucial for appreciating quality and almost impossible to perceive in non-virgin oils. Naturally, we refer to olives as harvested from the tree for crushing, not those prepared or seasoned for consumption as appetizers. If the oil evokes the latter, it would be considered a negative aroma, such as brine.
Apple: Characteristic of oils made from olives harvested at the optimal point of ripeness, depending on the variety and harvest timing. This aroma, present in both mature and green oils, is easily recognizable and highly valued in the EVOO world for its sweet and pleasant smell and taste.
Tomato: Essential in oils from the Picual variety, which conveys this aroma. Sometimes we also find the plant-like variant, evoking the tomato plant rather than its fruit. In both cases, it is a distinctive green fruitiness and one of the hallmark aromas of Spain’s most common olive variety.
Freshly cut grass: Grass emits the most aroma when freshly cut, reminding us of the countryside. Tasting an especially intense EVOO can evoke not only the grass but also the olive leaves, contributing chlorophyll notes from the tree’s essences to the oil.
Nuts: The most common is almond, in both stages of ripeness—green and tender or mature and dry—each full of distinct flavors and aromas. Other common nutty aromas include walnut, hazelnut, or pine nut.
Banana: As with almonds, we can perceive the aroma of both ripe and green fruit. In both cases, it is a highly positive attribute of high-quality EVOO. Its strong fragrance makes it easy for our nose to identify quickly.
Artichoke: This aroma is very characteristic of green-fruity EVOOs, although it is not always as easily recognizable as other aromas listed above. It requires a more developed nose, as it appears only in specific olive varieties.
Aromatic herbs: These aromas cover a wide range of plants used for seasoning dishes and are easily recognizable in EVOOs. Common examples include basil, mint, chamomile, fennel, thyme, and rosemary, which impart the scent of the soil in which the olives grow and contribute truly delightful aromas.
Fig tree: When oil evokes fig tree, it usually refers more to the tree than the fruit, specifically its leaves. This plant has a very characteristic scent that may be difficult to identify without prior familiarity.
Other less common aromas include strawberry, fruit puree, avocado, citrus, or berries, but we have focused on the most common and easily recognizable, essential for beginning the olfactory recognition of Extra Virgin Olive Oil aromas as indispensable indicators of its extraordinary organoleptic qualities.
