Professional sensory assessment is used to evaluate quality and classify olive oils through a standardised method. At home, the exercise is comparative and pleasurable: it helps you recognise sensations, express preferences and shop with greater confidence. Your opinion does not replace the work of an accredited tasting panel, but it can train your palate and reveal the variety, landscape and craftsmanship inside an everyday bottle.
Choose three EVOOs with different personalities
Three oils are enough for a first session. A larger flight can tire the nose and blur fine distinctions. Select extra virgin olive oils and, whenever possible, bottles from the same harvest year with clear information about variety, origin and producer.
A useful introductory flight might include an early-harvest Arbequina, a Picual and an Empeltre. Arbequina often has a gentle entry with suggestions of apple, almond or grass. Picual commonly brings more structure, tomato-leaf aromas and a firmer peppery finish. Empeltre can offer a rounded, fruity expression with nutty nuances. These are guides rather than rigid templates: climate, ripeness and milling decisions shape every oil.
At Made in Spain Gourmet, this journey can be built around Verde Divino Early-Harvest Arbequina EVOO, Alauda Early-Harvest Picual EVOO and SalzySalz 100% Empeltre EVOO. The three product pages provide a practical way to compare Spanish cultivars from very different perspectives. Always confirm the harvest and availability before planning your tasting.
Prepare the room and glasses
Choose a quiet, well-lit table without scented candles, perfume, freshly brewed coffee or hot food nearby. Ambient aromas interfere surprisingly easily. Morning is often a good time because the senses are rested, although at home the most important rule is to avoid tasting immediately after a large meal.
Professionals use dark glasses because colour does not determine quality and can create bias. If you do not have them, use small clean glasses and cover each with an odour-free saucer or lid. Wrapping the outside in paper will also hide the colour. Number the samples and pour roughly one tablespoon into each glass. Keep the bottles out of sight if you want a genuinely blind comparison.
The International Olive Council specifies a sample temperature of 28 °C, with a tolerance of two degrees, for formal testing. You need no heater at home: cradle the glass in one hand, cover the top with the other and rotate it gently for about thirty seconds. The warmth of your palm helps release volatile aromas. Never microwave the oil or heat it directly, as this will distort its character.
Begin with the aroma
Uncover the glass and take two or three short sniffs. Do not chase a perfect list of descriptors; think of familiar memories. Do you notice freshly cut grass, tomato leaf, artichoke, apple, green banana, almond, fig leaf or Mediterranean herbs? Write down your immediate impression before reading the producer’s tasting notes.
Fruitiness evokes sound, fresh olives, whether green or ripe, and is essential in an extra virgin olive oil. A fresh oil should feel clean and alive. Clear notes of rancidity, dampness, fermentation or vinegar should not be mistaken for bold personality; they may indicate defects. For an enjoyable home session, start with properly stored oils and focus on their positive differences.
Then taste it
Take a small sip and spread it around the mouth. Draw a little air through the teeth to encourage retronasal perception, without overdoing it. Notice the first impression, texture, bitterness on the tongue, pungency that may develop in the throat and the length of the aromatic finish.
Bitterness and pungency are not faults when they are clean and balanced. They commonly occur in oils made from fresh olives, particularly early-harvest fruit. Picual may feel firmer than Arbequina, but intensity alone does not equal quality. Look for harmony: does the palate reflect the aroma, does any element dominate harshly, and does the finish invite another taste?
Between oils, drink water and eat a small piece of green apple or plain bread. Wait for a minute. Avoid cheese, cured meats and olives during the analytical stage; save them for the end, when you can explore how food changes the expression of each EVOO.
Use a simple tasting sheet
Divide a page into five sections: aromatic intensity, descriptors, bitterness, pungency and persistence. Score each from one to five, but always add words. “Pungency 4” is vague; “gradual, clean and lingering pungency” is memorable. Add one final question: which dish would you use this oil for?
After tasting all three oils neat, try them on bread, tomato, vegetable soup or white fish. Arbequina may respect delicate ingredients; Picual can stand up to roasted vegetables, meat or tomato toast; Empeltre may complement salads, mild cheese or even dark chocolate. These are starting points, not absolute rules. Personal discovery is the purpose of the exercise.
Preserve the lesson and the oil
Record the date, harvest, cultivar and when each bottle was opened. Store oils tightly closed, away from light and heat. Do not save a great EVOO for years: olive oil does not improve indefinitely in the bottle, and aromatic freshness is central to its pleasure.
A home tasting works especially well with four to six people. Pour small amounts, compare without rushing and allow different opinions. Made in Spain Gourmet brings together oils that express Spanish landscapes and cultivars; tasting them side by side helps you understand them before choosing one for the kitchen. At the end, nobody may declare a single winner. That is a successful result: there will be an oil for every palate, dish and occasion.
AUTOR: Israel Romero, CEO de Made in Spain Gourmet.