Andrew S. 138 ratings 0 comments

This was the lowest priced evoo (and was on sale) at a local store in Toronto that has a large selection of Italian evoos. I think it’s an underrated Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The evoo isn’t as robust in flavour as some Italian evoos but is unique and very complex. After some time with it, its prominent notes that stood out for me are a blend of red tomato and honey. (Think of the smell if you blended a tomato and honey together) I really like its aroma and taste and would rate it a bit higher if it was a bit more balanced. Late during the sipping process, a large spiciness occurs—So, overall, has this sensation of a soft, flavourful evoo with quite heavy spiciness. Again, this is an underrated evoo—A soft, highly complex evoo with unique sweet notes that is very spicy.

A fine evoo from Alghero on the island of Sardinia, Italy. Notes of green apple and fresh olives on smell and taste. A little spicy. Excellently balanced which makes it very suitable to be sipped on, paired with or used for cooking.

An earthy smelling and tasting evoo. Its body is on the light side and tasting intensity is a bit below moderate. It’s organic and the company labels the evoo as being harvested without “pesticides” and “artificial fertilizers”, amongst other things. This is a strong feature of this evoo. It’s very clean and a bit spicy on taste. I would sip on this evoo on occasion if feeling like an earthy/peaty tasting evoo. I haven’t tried it but this evoo would probably pair well with white fish. I wouldn’t hesitate to cook types of foods (eggs, fish, etc.) with an evoo like this.

I bought this evoo in the Galata Tower area in Istanbul (Harvested in Urla) There wasn’t too much information about the company or evoo on the bottle. The cap was sealed on purchase. It has a loose pour. (Suitable for cooking) On smell and taste: It was predominantly peaty with supporting notes of wood and walnuts. No spice or fruitiness was present. Its body was thick and its tasting intensity was moderate. A very earthy evoo from the İzmir region in Türkiye.

The bottle, in Turkish, notes that it’s organic and cold pressed. A peaty evoo that is a bit sweet. Notes reminiscent of peat, oranges, wood and nuts. It’s light tasting with no spiciness. The way I would characterize and summarize this evoo is it’s a peaty evoo that is a touch on the fruity side.

A premium evoo with prominent notes of green apple, blackberry, fresh olives and a bitterness to it. It’s very aromatic and complex on smell. The body is medium and the tasting intensity is in the range of a world-class evoo. Its spiciness is very high and lengthy. I would classify this and keep it in my evoo cellar as a sipping evoo—Some may find it too spicy though, whereas, others will like the higher spiciness level. If trying to pair it you’d have to be selective (e.g., many salads would work well) because of how high its tasting intensity is.

On smell it becomes immediately clear that this evoo is complex and will have high tasting intensity. Its notes are reminiscent of tomatoes, a light aroma of almonds, cut grass, and is vegetal. (Such as artichoke) Its taste is well-balanced and spicy. A world-class evoo.

The more that I experiment with this evoo the more it impresses me. First of all, it’s a vegetal tasting evoo with light notes reminiscent of ripe banana and flower. And it is very spicy to sip. Because its complexity and tasting intensity is moderate but its spiciness is high, it’s not in my bodega (cellar) as a sipping evoo. With that said, this evoo is phenomenal at pairing. So far, I’ve experienced it with Margherita pizza, tomatoes, salad, rice, chicken and hummus. Because its tasting intensity is moderate, but present, it adds a bit of flavour to a dish while the main flavour of the dish is maintained. And interestingly, that high spiciness when sipped isn’t present when paired. So an evoo that isn’t on my sipping list but is bang-on for pairing with a lot of foods.

A premium olive oil. It has the typical aroma I have found in many Italian olive oils of blackberries and apples—But with an ever so faint touch of orange. (So, a very fruity evoo, categorically) The taste doesn’t disappoint either. The spiciness is high and tasting intensity is moderate. This evoo can be easily sipped on and enjoyed. This is a high-quality evoo that can be sipped on, paired or cooked with. For sipping it’s recommended to use professional evoo tasting glasses (I included a photo in this rating) to get the maximum aroma out.

A high quality evoo. Citrus and nutty on flavour. Low but present spice.

Tomato, cut grass, banana and artichoke are some of the notes picked out in this evoo. It’s highly complex, well-balanced and very spicy. (But not unmanageable) It’s delicious on smell and taste. This is a world-class Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

A very creamy in texture evoo. The prominent note on smell was ripe banana. The taste had notes of ripe banana and vanilla. This evoo is likely a later season harvest as the bottle notes “Vierge Olives Maturées”, “Olive Noires” and “Black Olives”.

I bought this evoo from the producer in a farmer’s market in Saint Tropez, France. The merchant/producer confirmed the variety is Aglandau. A creamy tasting evoo. The smell has a strong note of ripe banana—And the taste brought in more complexity: Reminiscent of ripe bananas, flowers and an undertone of nuts. (I enjoyed the taste more than the smell) It was very spicy. The evoo overall wasn’t as balanced as some but it has some complexity and would be functional to pair or cook with.

A very similar composition to many Spanish EVOOs from the Córdoba and Jaén regions: Prominent notes of tomato and cut grass. The packaging doesn’t mention the variety but does mention “blends” in a description—So presumably it’s a coupage of varieties. It’s spicy and has a moderate-level body. Because of its complexity it can be sipped on, paired and cooked with. This is one of the tastiest and most complex evoos I’ve tried from France.

A soft, buttery in texture evoo. Clean and pleasant smelling. Notes of veggies, citrus and a light blend of ripe banana and tomato. Very little to no spice.

I bought this evoo from nice women at a market in the centre of St. Tropez. It is the haziest looking Extra Virgin Olive Oil I’ve seen from France to date. Spicy and fruity with prominent notes of peaches and nuts with supporting notes of cut grass and tomato. Its body is thick and its tasting intensity is high. Due to how hazy it is I probably wouldn’t regularly use it as a sipping evoo but I think its composition is suitable for pairing with salads and fish. And cooking when wanting to add an oil that leans on the fruity side.

The finest French evoo I’ve tasted to date. I’d put it in the same quality of complexity as some of the finest Spanish evoos. Its smell is highly reminiscent of cut grass and tomato. Its body is moderate and tasting intensity is high. It’s highly complex. It’s very suitable for sipping and pairing.

(I purchased this evoo at a La Tarte Tropezienne in Saint-Tropez, France)

One of the greenest looking evoos I’ve seen. (Although I’ve seen dark green like this from Italy before) A pleasant taste with some spice. I’m not certain but it tastes mid or late harvest. It’s a fresh and fruity smelling and tasting evoo with a prominent note reminiscent of blackberries. Definitely a fine evoo to cook with. And if I was looking for a lighter evoo in tasting intensity, but still well-balanced, I would consider it for sipping. (I have a glass of it poured now while leaving this review)

Note that the bottle comes in a nice gold trim tinfoil. Once unpealed the bottle is bare (typical dark translucent evoo bottle look) except that the lid is labelled.

A likely later harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is fruity, well-balanced, and moderate in tasting intensity.

This evoo was purchased in a Maison Brémond 1830 store in Antibes. The store clerk told me that “Domaine des Bastidettes” is the family/orchard where the olives/evoo comes from. This boutique has a line of evoos from different families: The store clerk telling me, basically, it’s of smaller production olive oil producers.

This is an excellent evoo: It’s higher in complexity and tasting intensity so I would put in a “gourmet” category. Its tasting intensity is high and body is moderate. It has notes reminiscent of green banana, herbs and flowers. There is one noticeable note that is sweet and zesty. A fine evoo to sip on with friends, pair on foods and salads, and if you wish, add additional flavour to cooking.

I bought this evoo from a Maison Brémond store in Antibes, France. The store clerk said this evoo was made with darker olives and was good for cooking. The bottle also has an illustration of black olives, so presumably this harvest is later in the season. In inspecting the bottle more it lists (which is helpful for consumers) a harvest date: “11/2022”. So the harvest period is mid season. (Neither early nor late) i was told this evoo was that of the company’s versus from another orchard/family–which the company has some different offerings of. Hence, the identifier for this model is the oil mill they used which is located on the bottle where they usually put the orchard/family: Moulin La Fine à Volx.

This evoo is soft, light, a bit sweet and well balanced. I enjoyed it. Can certainly and confidently be used for cooking. Light notes reminiscent of ripe banana and freshly picked olives. Certainly suitable to sip on or pair for those looking for an evoo that is light. But for those looking for an evoo that is stronger with higher tasting intensity this isn’t the evoo I would recommend. A pleasant, high-quality, and well-balanced Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Aix-en-Provence region in France.

A pleasant, well-balanced evoo from northern Tunisia. (Jendouba) Not one dominent note but mixed notes reminiscent of tomato, banana and flowers. Its body is medium and tasting intensity is moderate. Its bottle listed that it was cold-pressed. Fine to pair or cook with.

A light evoo in body. Light notes of olives and flower. The bottle notes lists that it was cold-extracted. I didn’t see a mention that it was early harvested. (A photo on the bottle is of three ripe / dark olives so that may also allude to a later-in-season harvest) It isn’t complex relatively speaking or high in tasting intensity but it is well-balanced. A good, clean-tasting evoo that would be very compatible for cooking.

An evoo that is a bit thicker in taste. (Although not an uncommon trait with Tunisian evoos) It has prominent notes reminiscent of ripe banana and nuts. Fairly well-balanced. Its tasting intensity is right around moderate. Would be a good evoo for pairing with certain snacks (crackers, cheese, etc.) and other foods. And of course it can be used for cooking.

A spectacular evoo from eastern Italy. It’s highly complex with notes of tomato, apple, & blackberry. It’s strong and spicy, but well balanced. Its body leans thick and its tasting intensity is high. (Purchased from boutique retailer Villa Paradisu at Ajaccio’s airport in Corsica, France, under a private label eponymously named)

A very spicy evoo that’s a bit buttery in texture. Its body is a bit above medium and tasting intensity is low. It’s lacking the tasting intensity, complexity, and balance that would normally have me continue to consume.

A complex, well-balanced and spicy evoo. It has a prominent tone reminiscent of blackberries. It leans on the fruity side. Its body is medium and tasting intensity high. It can be sipped on, paired, and of course, cooked with.

A nice evoo that has a light note reminiscent of banana. Very little to no spice. Overall, balanced well. Its body is medium and tasting intensity slightly below moderate.

A bit of a nutty smelling evoo. Well balanced. On taste reminiscent of mixed nuts and an undertone of banana. The body is medium and the tasting intensity is moderate. Similar in taste to other Corsican evoos I’ve tried so far, but with a slightly more fruity flavour.

A well-balanced evoo from Corsica. A shop owner told me it’s from the east side of the island. The evoo leans on the fruity side with notes that resemble citrus like oranges and nuts. Its body is medium and tasting intensity is moderate. There is one consistent note that I’m not sure what it’s reminiscent of that runs through all the Corsican evoos I’ve tried so far. It’s compatible for cooking.

I purchased this Tunisian evoo on the island of Corsica, France. It has notes of banana (somewhere between green and ripe), nuts and light oranges. Its body is medium and tasting intensity and complexity moderate. It’s pleasant to sip on but likely more suitable for cooking and pairing.