The ways in which we evaluate olive oil are quite similar to the ways that fine wines are evaluated. The taster first pours the oil into a cup that is designed to concentrate the smell of the oil (imagine a red wine glass without the stem). Next, the oil should be warmed a bit to bring out the aromas. Ideally, the tasting cup would be somewhere near 86°F (30°C). Swirl the oil in the tasting cup (be careful not to spill the oil all over the place!) so that you get some oil all around the sides of the cup. Inhale very deeply a few times and write down what you smell most easily. See the list below for some of the possible aromas. Take a few more inhalations to pick out the undertones of the oil and jot them down too. Dig deep into the aroma to pull out the complex nature of the oil.

Contrary to popular belief, the color of the oil is not so important. An oil's color might indicate when it was picked, early season versus late season, but most oils will turn to a golden yellow over a short period of time in the bottle. In fact, in official tastings the oils are served to the tasters in blue glass cups so that the evaluation of the oil is not skewed by the color.

For the best results, please read through this primer completely before attempting to evaluate olive oil.

Now, the fun part begins. The most important factor for any oil is:

How does it taste? Are you ready for a new experience? Are you ready to be adventurous?! Excellent. Here is how to taste olive oil:

1. Keep in mind that it's not just your tongue that senses taste. Your nose and the rest of your mouth participate in tasting. Olive oil should stimulate your mouth in ways that you would never guess, not only in flavor, but in texture too.
2. Tip up that cup and take about a half teaspoon (2.5ml) into your mouth. Move the oil all around the inside of your mouth, but don't swallow it just yet. Let the oil touch the tip of your tongue, the sides and back of your tongue. This will allow you to sense the four major sensations; sweetness, saltiness, acidity and bitterness.
3. Now, the really fun part: Pucker up just like you're going to whistle and breathe in sharply, causing the oil on your tongue to bubble as the air moves over it and spreads it around your mouth as finer particles. This will truly bring out the more subtle tastes in the oil as it stimulates the back of your throat and nose.
4. Swallow the oil (or spit it out if you choose) and write down what you experienced. Some oils, if they have a pungent quality (ours certainly does) will come back up your throat as a spicy, peppery sensation. This is a good quality when in moderation, so be prepared for a little bite from some oils! This pungency can build if you're tasting several oils at one tasting, so it is a good idea to swallow the oil slowly, not in one big GULP!

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it does give one a more complex reference when quantifying the smells and flavors of a premium extra virgin olive oil. Use the chart below, along with the tasting score sheet (download) to evaluate an olive oil for quality and complexity.

Please note that some characteristics can be positive and negative, depending upon the level of that characteristic in the overall experience. Too much of a good thing is, usually, a bad thing. We have attempted to give you clues in the description about where one might find these characteristics; in the nose, on the palette, in texture, or combinations of all three.

Characteristic	Positive	Negative	Description
Almond			Smell of raw almonds
Apple			Smell of fresh apples, especially green apples
Artichoke			Sensation of fresh artichoke in smell and/or taste
Bitter			Flavor from green (unripe) olives. This is an exceptional quality when in moderation.
Cat Urine			Believe it or not, this can be a nice quality in a blended oil, usually the influence of Picual olives. Too much of this one is very bad.
Chamomile			Smell of sweet, calming chamomile flowers
Eucalyptus			Smells of eucalyptus leaves. Too much of this one can give a sense of menthol.
Flowery			Sensation of sweet flowers in smell and/or taste
Fusty			Sensation in smell and/or taste of improperly stored olives, or olives that were not milled in a timely fashion. It is indicative of an advanced stage of fermentation.
Grass			Sensation of freshly-mown grass in smell and/or taste
Greasy			A feeling in the mouth that the oil is very heavy and greasy.
Green			Typical smell and/or taste of unripe fruit
Muddy Sediment			Flavor of oil that has been exposed to olive solids for too long (usually during decantation).
Musty-Humid			Flavor indicative of fungus and yeast damage due to improperly stored olives, or olives that were damaged by frost.
Nutty			Sensation of nuts in smell and/or taste
Olive Leaf			Sensation of fresh olive leaves (bitter) in smell and/or taste
Peppery			Sensation of green peppercorns in smell and/or taste
Pine Nut			Smell of fresh pine nuts
Pungent			A biting sensation in the upper parts of the throat and back of the mouth. It is a characteristic of early harvest oils and is a desirable quality when in moderation.
Rancid			Flavor of oil that has been exposed to air for too long and has undergone excessive oxidation.
Ripe Olive			Sensation in smell and/or taste, usually from late harvest olives. It is a very mature, unassertive, slightly sweet and smooth quality.
Sweetness			Flavor characteristic of oil obtained from late harvest olives
Sweet Pepper			Smell of fresh sweet peppers
Tomato			Smell of tomato leaves
Watery			Texture indicative of a thin oil, possibly due to improper removal of vegetable water during decantation or the addition of refined oil(s).
Winey-Vinegary			Flavor that is similar to fermented products, such as wine or vinegar. This flavor is caused by improper handling of the oil during the decantation phase as the olive solids undergo a fermentation process.