Andrew S. 140 ratings 0 comments

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.

A complex, high-quality evoo. The prominent notes are white flower, tomato and green banana. Its smell is complex, its body is light, but the evoo still has flavour in the mouth.

Another nice evoo by Dominus. A complex and vegetal evoo with notes of tomato, green banana and cut grass. Its spice is present but on the lower side. It’s complex enough to be versatile: sipping, pouring on food and cooking with. Its body is medium and its tasting intensity is high.

A clean, vegetal-tasting evoo. Its body is medium and its tasting intensity is low, with a prominent note reminiscent of ripe bananas. The spice note could be smelled and was present. It could have occurred but it wasn’t listed on the bottle that the evoo was made from an early harvest, which may have contributed to it being lighter in taste. (Organic and cold pressed were listed on the bottle) Note that the pour is loose (the oil comes out fast) so this evoo is likely very suitable for cooking. The packaging, including its brand is very nice–Would look well on many kitchen counters. A nice, clean tasting, well-packaged evoo that is lower on tasting intensity.

A premium, sweet and floral evoo. The evoo I bought of this orchard was a private label for retailer, Sabor a España. Medium in body and high in tasting intensity and complexity. Its prominent note was mixed flowers supported with notes of tomato and ripe banana. It was spicy but measured. An exceptional evoo that should be experienced.

A premium evoo from the Jaén region in Spain. The colour is a rich green. It’s enormously sweet to smell with notes of chamomile and yellow banana amongst other attributes. On taste an orange (tangerine) note takes over with banana present in the background. It’s above normal in spice. Would be delightful to pour on certain foods, would add a sweetness to foods when cooked with, and is compatible for sipping. One of its largest assets (aside from its taste) is the thoughtful packaging—Resembling a perfume/cologne bottle. The unpackaging process was well-thought out too and functions well. The pour is near tight. (Not tight and slow but not too fast either)

One of the best Extra Virgin Olive Oils in the world. On smell enormously complex with notes of cut grass, green banana, tomato and herbs. Interestingly, the smell leans towards sweet versus fruity. The taste is excellently balanced—both in flavour and spice. (It’s spicy but controlled) Its body is above medium and its tasting intensity is high. An evoo like this could be paired with many foods.

This is a dynamic evoo. It has spirited notes of kiwi, citrus and other flowers and herbs. Its smell is very aromatic—leaning towards sweet. Its body leans light but its tasting intensity is high. It has low but present spice. A highly recommended, and fun Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

A well-balanced and soft evoo from Crete. On smell a buttery aroma of almonds and flowers. The body is light, the tasting intensity is between low and moderate and there is light spice. (Amongst other things) It pairs well with tomatoes and on sandwiches.

A unique and tasteful evoo experience from the island of Mallorca, Spain. Its prominent notes are blackberries and nuts with lighter, supporting notes of tomatoes and mixed herbs, including chamomile. The texture on this evoo was thick and hazy–The thickest and haziest evoo I’ve seen/tasted in Spain so far. (But not the thickest/haziest of evoos from the Mediterranean I’ve tried) (It’s worth noting that Mallorca obviously isn’t on the peninsula but is an island, so will likely have its own micro environment/climate) The spiciness is low. A complex and well-balanced evoo from the Balearic islands.

A nice evoo that is light and well-balanced. Its body is medium and tasting intensity below moderate. It’s low on spice but present. Its prominent note on smell and taste is tomatoes.

I bought this evoo in Athens. The store clerk said that the juice comes from 150 year old trees. The company is promoting the health benefits of their evoo on the bottle noting the high polyphenols and noting an official EU health claim. (with claim number) I think this is a smart angle on their behalf. The texture of this evoo is very thick and hazy. (Thickest and haziest evoo I’ve found outside of Tunisia to date) On smell and taste its prominent notes are nuts and ripe banana. It’s very spicy. Overall, it’s thick, complex and enjoyable. As I sip on an Americano in Athens I find myself wanting to sip more of this evoo.

A high-quality, very vegetal evoo from the Peloponnese region in Greece. Its body is above medium and its tasting intensity is slightly below moderate. It’s spicy and well-balanced. A way of summarizing it is it’s thick, well-balanced and vegetal.

A high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the mountains in Lesvos, Greece. I actually visited this orchard in the Fall ‘23 and was delighted to find the family’s product during an evoo hunt in March 2024 on the island of Chios. (Also in Greece) The prominent note is tomato with supporting notes of ripe banana and herbs. The body is medium, the tasting intensity is medium to high and the spiciness is low but present. This evoo can be sipped on, cooked with, or poured on a variety of food.

This is a high-quality evoo. Its body is moderate and tasting intensity is medium. It has faint notes of nuts. This is a soft, pleasant and well balanced evoo that can easily be sipped on.

A pleasant, well-balanced evoo. Its prominent note is ripe banana followed by mixed nuts. It’s slightly on the oily side. Its body is light to medium and its tasting intensity is low to moderate.

A pleasant evoo that has a prominent note of ripe banana. It’s a tad on the oily side so isn’t ideal as a sipping evoo but overall it’s of good quality.

An exceptional evoo with notes of chamomile, honey and banana. The body is medium and its testing intensity is high. Very little to no spice. It’s on the sweet (like honey) side. This is a versatile evoo that could be cooked with, sipped on, poured on salads, cheeses, etc.

This evoo’s prominent notes are banana and mixed nuts. Its body is medium and tasting intensity is moderate. It has a creamy texture. A fair amount, but not high level of spice. I put this evoo in the cooking category or one that would be pleasant for salads and veggies. It’s fine to sip on but it isn’t one I would naturally keep going back to for sipping.

Fantastic packaging on this evoo. The smell and taste is reminiscent of pear and green banana. Very spicy. The texture is very creamy. Its body is bordering on thick and its tasting intensity is above moderate. An evoo with character from Türkiye.

I bought this evoo from a merchant in the Old Town in Antalya, Türkiye. One of the lightest tasting evoos I’ve tried. The body is very light in appearance (and taste). On smell light citrus and flowers. There is little to no spice. This evoo should be reliable for cooking if looking for something simple that won’t add too much flavour.

I purchased this evoo in the Ankara airport in Türkiye. One of the better Turkish evoos I’ve tried. On smell citrus, ripe banana and mixed nuts. The taste is soft and well balanced. The spice is low. For a nice tasting evoo to sip on from Türkiye, I recommend.

The nozzle on the bottle was sealed. I needed to remove the nozzle to get the evoo out. (One could like puncture the plastic nozzle too) Smell was nutty with a scent reminiscent of balsamic oil or vinegar. The texture was thick and hazy. The taste was on the nutty side. This is more of a cooking evoo.

The nozzle on this evoo wasn’t functional. Only a minuscule of evoo would come out if forced over several seconds. I took it back to the herbal store in Üsküdar, Istanbul and the merchant, who struggled to get the bottle to work too ended up replacing the nozzle on it. Even with the new nozzle the pour was unreasonably slow so I took the nozzle off entirely. On smell reminiscent of ripe banana and a faint balsamic or vinegar smell. The taste is pleasant (similar to its smell) but I think this evoo is more suitable for salads and cooking.

A peaty, citrus and nutty tasting evoo. Not spicy. Body is light and tasting intensity is low to moderate.

This is reminiscent of walnuts on smell. It does have a faint balsamic or vinegar note on smell that’s not present on taste. On taste the walnuts and citrus come through. It’s not spicy. The body is above medium and tasting intensity is low.

I was interested to see that this Turkish evoo uses Arbequina, a cultivar well known in Spain. Its prominent note is almonds. Its texture is buttery with a low amount of spice. Also a bit oily. Its body is above medium and its tasting intensity is moderate.

A high-quality evoo from Tunisia. On smell the prominent note is green banana followed by mixed herbs and tomatoes. On taste the same. Its body is medium and its tasting intensity is moderate. It’s quite spicy but not long-lasting. A complex and well-balanced evoo to sip on.

I bought this evoo at the Barcelona airport on the way from Spain to Tunis. Its prominent note on smell and taste is ripe banana. Its supporting notes are tomatoes and nuts. Its body is between medium and high and its tasting intensity is moderate.