- 9 hours ago
What’s the best olive oil you can buy? In this video, Food & Wine food stylist Julian Hensarling and olive oil expert Sara Jimenez taste 17 extra virgin olive oils from grocery store favorites and familiar brands, including Trader Joe’s, Costco’s Kirkland Signature, Bertolli, California Olive Ranch, Graza, and more. They judge each oil on aroma, flavor, and finish before narrowing the field to their top three and choosing a winner.
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00:04Give me one second. I did not expect it would do that. I felt that right up my nose. We're
00:09blind tasting olive oil. We're ranking every brand of extra virgin olive oil at your grocery
00:15store to find the best one. We're evaluating three things, aroma, flavor, and finish. For
00:20this test, we tried to find the freshest bottles based on harvest and best buy dates.
00:27So when you're first tasting extra virgin olive oil, you want to make sure that you
00:30warm it up almost to be the temperature of your natural body temperature. This will help release
00:35a lot of the aromas as well as the flavors. I like to close my eyes and just visualize. You
00:41get a lot
00:41of this beautiful olive artichoke, a little bit of this green grass, some herbaceousness. It's
00:47interesting. Just like the aroma from where we started to where we are now, it's completely
00:52different. I was picking up a lot of the more vegetal, the olive. Now, almost like a green
00:58apple. I look for olive oils that linger on the finish, that are really enjoyable and also very
01:03balanced. And then, of course, that full signature peppery kick. And really good extra virgin olive
01:09oil is going to be very fruit forward. I'm going to let you go first because I need to see
01:14the
01:14slurpification here. Yes. How I like to do it is I'm going to take a little bit into my mouth.
01:18Okay.
01:18I'm going to make sure I close my teeth because I don't want anything spilling out of my mouth. All
01:21right.
01:21And then you're just going to suck in some air. That's going to be the sound bite for this whole
01:28thing. Just like a loop. And so what you want to do is you really want to get the olive
01:35oil on your
01:35palate. Suck in that air. And this is going to help aerate the extra virgin olive oil on your mouth.
01:41Yes, you're doing good. That's a great slurp. So it helps aerate it in your mouth as well as helps
01:45you feel the bitterness and the polyphenol content. So you might notice even a slight tickle. So polyphenol,
01:51polyphenols are those antioxidants that are naturally occurring in extra virgin olive oil.
01:56They can sometimes give you a little bit of that peppery kick in your throat.
02:00Give me one second. I did not expect it would do that.
02:03I felt that right up my nose. All right. Does bread help? What's going to help me here?
02:07What's going to get me? I think bread definitely will help.
02:09Can it bring me back? It'll help coat your palate.
02:10Bread is a great way to keep your palate a little bit more cleansed in between all of these olive
02:15oil sips.
02:15But I also find there's just something a little more comforting when you have that pepperiness in your throat.
02:19Yeah, I'm back to normal now. It saved me.
02:21This I would say is definitely a very good, it's a pretty fresh olive oil.
02:25This is definitely a blend. I think blends are great and they all have a place in this world.
02:30I mean, for me, I would say this is pretty good for like, if you know,
02:34we're going off of stuff that's available in grocery stores.
02:37If I was buying this at a grocery store, I'd be pretty happy.
02:40I'd rate this a five. It was pleasant. It was easy to consume.
02:43You know, it was mild. It was buttery. It's something I would cook with.
02:47I'm going to go with a six because as you mentioned, there was no aftertaste.
02:51And since we're looking for something like that for like the higher grade olive oils.
02:55The reveal.
02:58This one I am so surprised. Wow.
03:01It is great value. Extra virgin olive oil.
03:03It is from Argentina, Chile, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, packed in Spain.
03:09Great for salads or dipping.
03:11It's really because the quality of the olives as well as the quality of the production itself.
03:17Extra virgin is the highest quality of olive oil that you can have.
03:21I mean, it's got it in its name. I would say this is a great value.
03:24I was pleasantly surprised by this. Honestly, I would use this for grilling and salad dressings easily.
03:33Absolutely gorgeous. I would say some of the aromas I'm getting are maybe even like a little underripe banana.
03:38Sure. Definitely banana. I agree.
03:41Yeah, it's much sweeter than the last one. Like that last one was a bit more on the savory side.
03:47Should we go ahead and try it? Let's do it. Slurping.
03:51Wow. Much more mild than the last one.
03:54Yep. I can actually taste something after I've taken it in and it's true.
03:58It's not lingering for that long, but there was definitely, you know, that last one, it just washed away in
04:04kind of a pleasant way.
04:06This, it left us about as fast, but it left something on its way out.
04:11Left an impression. It left an impression on its way out.
04:12Yes. It has a quick peppery finish, so it's nothing too overdone.
04:16I don't get any of that weird oily feeling from this olive oil.
04:20You know what? I will give this one a seven. It was pleasant. It's peppery. It's got the, it's got
04:26an impressionable finish, like you said.
04:28Sure. I'm going to go with a seven as well, because there's definitely something else to this flavor.
04:34It's not just for cooking. This might serve great for just a drizzle over something.
04:39Mystery bag. It's glass.
04:41Oh.
04:42And it's Whole Foods Extra Virgin Mediterranean Blend Cold Processed.
04:47You know, I like Whole Foods and I generally like a lot of their products, so it doesn't surprise me
04:51that it's a Mediterranean blend.
04:52It makes a lot of sense, like we're tasting those warmer kind of sunshine notes. So yeah, I'm pleasantly surprised.
05:01Okay.
05:02Ooh.
05:05Wow.
05:05Hmm.
05:06Hmm.
05:07This is the first one where I'm questioning.
05:10Yes.
05:10I have questions.
05:11The second I put it to my nose, you know, it would have to be run through a tasting paddle,
05:15but there could possibly be a defect in this olive oil.
05:17Hmm.
05:17Yes.
05:18Defects are actually very common, surprisingly, and defects are really interesting because some defects happen
05:24before you actually produce the olives and make them into olive oil.
05:28Okay.
05:28So defects can happen in the groves as well as after production. You can have a rancid defect.
05:35Okay.
05:35You can have a fusty or musty defect, which some are based on fermentation or maybe too much moisture or
05:42mold.
05:43Are we going to die if we have defective olive oil?
05:46No.
05:46Defects are so common that you're not going to get sick. Now, I'm not a doctor here,
05:52so if you want to drink a whole jug of defective olive oil, I don't know how you're going to
05:54feel
05:54after that.
05:55Okay.
05:55You're probably just not going to like the olive oil itself.
05:59Gotcha.
06:01Mm-hmm.
06:01See? It's off-putting. It almost feels waxy. I mean, maybe you're eating a box of crayons right now.
06:06I feel like I am.
06:07It's touching on sort of a canola oil, like, process-y flavor.
06:12Yes.
06:12There's no pepperiness whatsoever.
06:15No. I'm going to have to go low on this one.
06:17Just because it's off-putting.
06:19Yes.
06:19I'll go two because I didn't feel like I was drinking something that was, like,
06:23going to kill me.
06:24Right.
06:25You know what? I'm going to have to agree with you. I'll give it a two because, you know what?
06:30It's probably just old.
06:31It's probably just old.
06:32So I want to give the producer the benefit of the doubt.
06:35Here we go.
06:36I'm really intrigued.
06:36What's in glass?
06:37Wow.
06:38So fancy.
06:39I believe this is maybe from Tunisia?
06:41From Tunisia.
06:42Yep. Even though it does have a production date and a Best Buy date, however,
06:46there is something that is going on with it that is a little bit more of a defective quality.
06:55Oh, yeah.
06:56That is night and day right there.
06:58All right.
06:58Yeah.
06:58So I'm getting a lot of, again, those beautiful kind of herbaceous undertones,
07:03but even a little bit more.
07:05That banana skin is coming back.
07:06That banana peel.
07:08Yeah.
07:08It has, you know, something rich, like not quite raisiny, but there's some of that sweetness.
07:15Kind of like a tomato leaf.
07:17In my mind, like the heirloom tomato smell, it's got that like kind of like richer aspect to it.
07:25Not too much pungency, but just a little bit.
07:28It's there.
07:28It definitely makes me think the olives could have gone through a little bit more of a fermentation
07:32before they were produced, which could be giving us those whiny effects.
07:37Tomatoes, olives, that sort of thing, and then it was gone.
07:39Right.
07:40I think for this one, I'm going to rate it a six.
07:42Okay.
07:43Because I found it quite pleasant if, you know, especially for cooking.
07:46Yeah.
07:46I'll go with a six as well because it definitely was good, but I think to get higher than that,
07:52I'm going to start to need something that's going to like really sit with me and say,
07:56this is what I am.
07:57You need to remember me.
07:59I agree.
08:09I think it's delicious and I think it really does tell a bit of a story.
08:27I agree.
08:28It's a perfect everyday olive oil that's going to have really good, healthy fats.
08:33And that's what I like about it.
08:37I mean, I feel great.
08:38Yeah.
08:38The more we talk about polyphenols and good fats, the more I'm feeling better about myself.
08:43And our skin will be glowing by tomorrow.
08:45This is like going to the spa right now.
08:47Definitely getting that earthy.
08:49This is where I would automatically think like artichoke and that green almond note.
08:54That's very signature to Italy.
08:56Okay.
08:57Yeah.
08:57I mean, almonds, like it really has that, like that fresh, like the green almond.
09:02It's pretty earthy.
09:03It's pretty robust on the nose.
09:05I must say this one's a standout on the nose.
09:07Just breathing it in.
09:09I feel a slight tickle already.
09:11All right.
09:12Let's taste it.
09:12Okay.
09:15It's got a clean finish.
09:17I must say one of the cleaner ones
09:18we've had, but there's that pungency.
09:22Even I'm getting a cough.
09:23It lingers.
09:25It lingers.
09:26So yeah, it's lingering.
09:27I mean, this is a sign of good quality olive oil.
09:29And it has a nice finish too.
09:31It finishes clean, but you can still taste it.
09:33I'm going to go with an eight.
09:35This is the first one where I can sit here and say like,
09:37if this is our top end, I'm not angry.
09:40Yeah, I agree.
09:40I like it better than the one we rated at seven.
09:43And, but it's not a nine.
09:44So eight is, eight is good.
09:46Eight.
09:47It comes with some of the spout.
09:49Oh my gosh.
09:50Trader Joe's.
09:51Robust fruity flavor, full body taste, fragrant and smooth.
09:54And you know what?
09:55I've actually purchased this one before from Trader Joe's.
09:57Yeah.
09:57So it's nice to taste it again.
09:59Cause I'm pretty sure I just used it for cooking
10:01and didn't really even taste it like we just did now.
10:03Pleasantly surprised.
10:07Interesting.
10:09Let's say this one's a bit hidden.
10:10I would say you really kind of got to dig for these fruit notes.
10:13It's true.
10:13You're getting the olivey, you know, but I am kind of getting a little bit more that,
10:19the rustic touch, earthiness.
10:21Cause it's reminding me of older olives.
10:23Gotcha.
10:23Let's taste it.
10:28A little nutty almost.
10:30It doesn't taste like the fruit of some, you know.
10:33So it makes me think that this is a little bit more aged, you know?
10:36It's just been hanging around in its bottle for a little bit of time.
10:40I was thinking three.
10:40Three.
10:41Three. Yeah.
10:41I mean, it could go there.
10:43Three or four.
10:43Yeah.
10:44It could go to three.
10:45I'm going to go four simply because I could see using this for cooking.
10:49Yeah.
10:50All right.
10:50This, this tracks, this tracks.
10:52Well, okay.
10:53You know what?
10:54Yeah.
10:55Sometimes the plastic bottle too can aid in a little bit more of those,
10:58those notes that got lost.
11:00Sure.
11:00You know, plastic, a lot of times can, you know,
11:02impart extra effects and it can also oxidize it a little quicker.
11:05So something that's affordable-ish.
11:09Oh, that's an aromatic nose.
11:12Yeah.
11:13It's giving herbs, like a touch of grass.
11:16Very herby.
11:19Mm.
11:20Very green on the palate.
11:22Mild.
11:22I would say the nose is more expressive than the taste.
11:26Definitely.
11:27It's the, one of the first ones were like green grass.
11:29Like it tastes green.
11:31I would taste this and think about what I was going to make the food that
11:35rather than like trying to bend this thing to the will of the recipe.
11:38I think the recipe bends the will of this olive oil, right?
11:41Yes.
11:42I'm going to go straight into rating it.
11:43I'm going to give this a seven.
11:44Ooh.
11:45Okay.
11:46I'm going to give it a seven too.
11:47No lingering.
11:48It is.
11:48Right.
11:49That was out the door fast.
11:50Yes.
11:50We had appetizers.
11:51We didn't even have a main course.
11:52It was a nice appetizer.
11:54Mm-hmm.
11:54All right.
11:55We've got.
11:56Oh.
11:58Carpelli.
11:58I mean, we're working with glass again.
12:01Right.
12:01And green glass.
12:02Green glass.
12:03It's also got that cork, like the little thing that's got the cork in there.
12:06So we know that this is going to keep, you know, your oxidization to a minimum.
12:10Yeah.
12:10It's a beautiful bottle.
12:11And it does have a.
12:14It has a harvest date.
12:15Harvest.
12:16Harvest and best by date.
12:17I thought the finish was nice.
12:19It was quick, but it was very pleasant.
12:21And honestly, this is a very key indicator of Spanish extra virgin olive oil.
12:26So now that I've seen the bottle, it makes sense that it was Spanish.
12:29Because it's mild.
12:30It's buttery.
12:31Which a lot of Spanish olive oils tend to be that way.
12:33Especially ones you're going to use with blends with Portuguese olives and for cooking.
12:39All right.
12:42Pleasant nose.
12:42More fruity this time.
12:44Yes, definitely getting a little bit more of that banana peel.
12:47Not necessarily a green almond, but an almondy note.
12:50Sure.
12:53Ooh, fruity palate.
12:55Oh, wow.
12:57That taste is banana.
12:59This is one of the ones where I'm actually getting the flavor lingering.
13:04It's got beautiful pungency, leading to a very nice finish.
13:08It might even be one I would drizzle over ice cream, you know, with a little salt.
13:11It's up there for me.
13:12I'd probably say it, Nate.
13:14This is one of those, like, we talk about maybe having a few olive oils in your kitchen.
13:17This would be one of those three olive oils that I'd want in my kitchen.
13:21I agree.
13:21But I think I'm going to go with an eight, too, just because it's really pretty.
13:24It is.
13:25And it's very pleasant.
13:26And yeah, I would not mind having this in my kitchen at all.
13:29Little guy down here.
13:31Oh, hey, buddy.
13:32Oh, the Cola Vita.
13:33The Cola Vita.
13:35I am surprised at that one.
13:36So here we are.
13:37It's the premium selection, too.
13:42Warm this up a bit.
13:43Like the professionals that we are.
13:44We're getting better with each olive oil.
13:46We really are.
13:46We are one with the olive.
13:48I'm going to have to taste it, but it's giving me some sort of minimal possible defect.
13:53Agreed.
13:53On the nose.
13:54Yeah, it really, it's funny.
13:56It's more, it's garlic adjacent.
13:59Yes, and the finish disappears.
14:02It makes me think fusty, which would be more fermentation related.
14:06There's just not much.
14:07Yes.
14:08There's no finish at all.
14:09Mm-mm.
14:09It's not the most pleasant.
14:11It just, it tastes like consuming oil.
14:13Mm-hmm.
14:13Three.
14:15Now I'm going to have to go with a two.
14:16You're going two.
14:16Yeah.
14:17I'm going to go two as well, because it really, it's down there.
14:20Right.
14:21Like I'm not reaching for this ever.
14:22Let's see.
14:24Bertoli.
14:25Oh, okay.
14:27Well, this is a big producer.
14:29Yeah.
14:29Bertoli is a huge producer.
14:32It's in plastic.
14:33I mean, no surprises to me.
14:35Wouldn't it be an olive oil that I'd choose?
14:37No.
14:40Let's see on the nose.
14:43I might have to dig for this one on the nose.
14:45All right.
14:45So right off the bat, I'm getting some olive brininess, but I'm getting a little bit more
14:51of that waxy kind of crayon note, which again, could be old oil.
14:56So it tastes like a spicy box of crayons.
15:02It hits you with the pungency and the pepperiness in your throat, but that's not pleasant pungency.
15:06Yeah.
15:07Because it really does taste like crayons.
15:10If there's a spicy crayon brand, this is it.
15:13I'm going to give it a one, to be honest.
15:14I don't really like this one at all.
15:16It has no depth.
15:17It has nothing to it.
15:19I'm going to go one as well, because not only does it have some problematic flavor profile,
15:25but the fact that it still had the pepperiness kind of made me a little bit angry.
15:30Mm-hmm.
15:31I don't want my olive oil to make me angry.
15:33No.
15:33It just did.
15:34Oh, yeah.
15:35Look at that size right there.
15:37Wow.
15:37That is giant.
15:38Kirkland.
15:39Wow.
15:39All right.
15:40From Italy.
15:41It's saying just Italy.
15:42It's such a big brand, and they're sourcing olives from all over Italy, producing in such volume.
15:48It might be sitting around for a long time.
15:51It reminded me of just old oil.
15:55Getting a little bit more of those fruit notes now.
15:58Definitely getting olives and fruit.
16:00Yeah, that smells like something.
16:01It's not a complex one.
16:02Mm-hmm.
16:03Maybe like some artichoke.
16:05You're right.
16:06Light touches.
16:07Yeah.
16:07Yeah, it's a little vegetal, but and mild.
16:13Get a bit more of the artichoke on the palate, too.
16:16Mm-hmm.
16:16It's pretty well-rounded.
16:17Easy.
16:17The flavor is bigger than the, like, the aroma.
16:20Yes.
16:20I completely agree with that.
16:22It has a clean finish.
16:23It does.
16:23It's quick.
16:24It's clean.
16:24It doesn't leave any unwanted lingering flavors.
16:27Agreed.
16:27Yeah, I'm not sitting here, like, questioning my safety after consuming it.
16:31Right.
16:32I mean, five?
16:34Is this our baseline right here?
16:36I think we could go five.
16:36That gives us halfway down the line.
16:38Okay.
16:41California, Olive Ranch.
16:42Here we are.
16:43And I know this, like, a lot of chefs call this one out as, like,
16:46the go-to brand if you're in the grocery store.
16:48And I understand why.
16:50You know, like, that really was, like, if you need an olive oil.
16:53Yeah, it's that perfect everyday use, you know?
16:55It's not going to overpower your food.
16:56See?
16:57For every day.
16:58Mm-hmm.
17:02Pleasant.
17:03Fruity.
17:03Mm-hmm.
17:06To me, it's very mild.
17:08Mm-hmm.
17:08Yep.
17:09No intensity to it, but it's not bad.
17:11I'm not picking up bananas or herbs or it tastes like olive oil.
17:15It does.
17:16Yes.
17:16There's nothing memorable about it, but I wouldn't hate it for cooking.
17:19Yeah.
17:19I'd say it's buttery.
17:20I mean, it's...
17:21It's a buttery finish.
17:22I completely agree.
17:23And it just, it's quick.
17:24It's quick.
17:24Quick and buttery.
17:25Yep.
17:25Quick and buttery.
17:26I'm going to go four since we gave that other one a five, the California.
17:30We gave that a five.
17:30I was thinking four, too, because, yeah, it's nothing memorable, but I didn't hate it.
17:34It's a larger bottle.
17:35It's glass.
17:37Cobram Estate.
17:38Oh, okay.
17:40So...
17:40That's California, right?
17:41California.
17:41Yep.
17:41This is California.
17:42Yeah.
17:43I think this really sums it up.
17:45Like, there it is right there.
17:46Classic flavor.
17:47Yes.
17:48Maybe that's, you know, Californians.
17:50They're just laid back.
17:51Right.
17:51Like, you know...
17:52It's laid back olive oil.
17:52Yeah.
17:55Maybe it'll be lucky number 13.
17:57Wow.
17:58That nose is giving a lot of fruit and vegetal notes.
18:01I'm excited now.
18:03I like this nose.
18:05Hmm.
18:05It's herbaceous.
18:07It's green.
18:07It's giving a little bit more of those green grass vibes.
18:10And maybe, like, fresh herbs.
18:12It's real pastury.
18:15This is one of the more balanced ones we've had, but it's robust at the same time.
18:18Right?
18:19You're really getting a lot of personality in this olive oil.
18:22Nice peppery finish, but it's a clean peppery finish.
18:25Mm-hmm.
18:25And that flavor's sticking around.
18:26Mm-hmm.
18:27And it's changing.
18:28Like, there's a development there.
18:30Yes.
18:30It has a lot of layers.
18:32Yeah.
18:32And then the finish is nice and clean, and it kind of just goes away.
18:35I'm going to go 9 with this one.
18:36All right.
18:36I really am.
18:36Because I feel like this is the first one that made me kind of, like, excite my palate.
18:41Yes.
18:41I would actually give this a 9 too.
18:43I like it.
18:44Let's see what we got here.
18:47Lucchini Premium Select.
18:48Okay.
18:49I concur with the premium.
18:50Mm-hmm.
18:51There we go.
18:51Your Premium Select, robust intensity.
18:54This is also the first one that's sitting here telling us that it's not medium or anything.
18:58This has all the dots.
19:00Robust.
19:01And it is very robust.
19:02I love that they put that on the label, the robust intensity, because you do get it,
19:06but it's that beautiful, clean finish, which really shows you that it's quality driven.
19:14All right.
19:15Again, the fruity nose.
19:16All right.
19:16We're doing good.
19:17Mm-hmm.
19:18Yep.
19:18Yeah.
19:19Back to business.
19:20Definitely a little bit more of that almondy nuttiness.
19:24Like a citrus leaf.
19:28Well, the palate's quite fruity.
19:31I'm getting some of that banana coming through that I was not getting on the nose.
19:35Like banana flesh.
19:36Pleasant, buttery.
19:37A little grassy, fruity, got that banana thing.
19:41I don't know if it's like a melon.
19:42There's another element of fruit there that I have not picked up in any other ones so far.
19:47Yes.
19:48This is one of those that has the flavor profiles of the fruity ones,
19:52but that I could actually see also working very well with savory dishes.
19:57Mm-hmm.
19:57Like this on a tomato with like some basil, like things like that.
20:01I liked this one too.
20:03Yeah.
20:03You know, I could go with, I'm going to go with a nine on this one.
20:06I'm going to go with an eight, because that other one I think really like.
20:09I think this is a, a personal taste right here.
20:14Interesting shape and feel.
20:16Ooh.
20:17Cool.
20:17A tin can.
20:18I love it.
20:18Oh, love Kostarina.
20:21Kostarina, product of Greece.
20:23I love that branding, by the way.
20:25Yes.
20:25So, is this the first one that we've had so far that is 100% one variety of?
20:31You're right.
20:32It is.
20:32This is our first single varietal.
20:34Our first single varietal.
20:35So, I think, you know, it really, it expressed itself as like, this is its one thing.
20:39Blends are great and blends have a place, but it's always a pleasant surprise when you have a
20:44single varietal.
20:45And also, it's a great way for you to decide or taste what olive varietals you actually do like.
20:50100%.
20:50And what they bring to their blends.
20:51Yeah.
20:52I think, yeah, this is going to teach you.
20:53You're going to learn.
20:54If you like the Korniki olive, like this is it right here.
21:00Very nice.
21:01Little grassy nose.
21:03Yep.
21:03Another one's got, yeah, very upfront.
21:06Got a grassy nose, yeah.
21:07Maybe getting a little bit of that banana again.
21:09Mm-hmm.
21:09Yeah.
21:10It's always that like signature underripe banana peel.
21:12Mm-hmm.
21:13Mm.
21:15Very easy to drink.
21:16Mm-hmm.
21:17Quick finish.
21:18Mm-hmm.
21:18Doesn't leave a lasting impression, but it's really easy and enjoyable.
21:22Yeah.
21:22I got almond, like that almond kind of thing at the very end of it.
21:25Yeah.
21:26Like this emulsified into something, I feel like would be a pretty sexy dish, like using this.
21:31Yes.
21:32This is a very pleasant olive oil.
21:34Mm-hmm.
21:34Ratings-wise, I'm going eight again.
21:37It's not as complex as what, you know, the luchini that I gave a nine.
21:41But again, like we're hitting the high notes right now.
21:44We are.
21:44I like where we're going with this.
21:45Yeah, I'm going to give it an eight, too, just because I think I like the last one a
21:48little bit more.
21:49Mm-hmm.
21:49But yeah, I'm going to give this one an eight, too, because I would absolutely use this in
21:53my home.
21:53Oh, I was wrong.
21:55Ooh, it's in plastic, too.
21:56Oh, I'm surprised.
21:57Okay.
21:58What is this?
21:59Oh, let's see.
22:00Pompayon.
22:01Wow.
22:02Okay.
22:02Robust extra virgin olive oil in plastic.
22:05I do not know anymore.
22:08This one surprised me.
22:09I think it was just so pleasant.
22:10It was easy to drink.
22:12I mean, yeah.
22:12This was good.
22:13Knowing this brand, I really did not expect this from them, to be honest.
22:17Agreed.
22:17This is definitely one of those that, like, I walk past and don't even think about picking
22:21it up.
22:21I do, too.
22:22So I might have to reconsider this.
22:24Agreed.
22:25Yeah.
22:29It's giving me a little bit of whiny.
22:31Or just touches of fermentation.
22:33But I mean, it's, you know, it's still grassy.
22:36It's the, like, late summer grass that maybe it's rained.
22:41It's not the most pleasant nose, but it's definitely, you're getting some olive.
22:44Sure.
22:44You know, I'm just getting a little bit more fermentation than I want.
22:48Tastes like oil.
22:49Yeah.
22:49I was like, no, thanks.
22:50And that definitely leaves that, like, that oiliness on your palate, even though it's funny
22:54to say with oil, but it's almost, like, too oily.
22:56It's too oily.
22:57Yeah.
22:57It's not buttery.
22:58It's not creamy.
22:59It really does taste like I'm drinking oil.
23:02This makes me think it could have a defect.
23:04And if it were to be a defect, I would say this one definitely tastes as if it were affected
23:09by, like, the olive fly or a little bit of that grubbiness.
23:11Or maybe the olives weren't clean enough when they produced them.
23:15Two to one world?
23:16Yeah.
23:17I was going to give it a two.
23:18Two.
23:19I'm going to give it a two because it doesn't taste like I'm, it's rancid to the point where,
23:24like, I am going to have an issue afterwards, but I don't want that.
23:29Yeah.
23:29I'm going to give it a two just because I think that it's the olive quality that was affected
23:33with this.
23:34I don't think it's the producer.
23:36Okay.
23:36All right.
23:36Let's see what we're working with.
23:38All right.
23:39It's glass.
23:39Oh my gosh.
23:40It's long.
23:41This one I'm surprised about.
23:43Wow.
23:44It was not robust.
23:45Not robust at all.
23:46And it was not fruity nor vibrant.
23:48Nope.
23:48So we might have to say there's a bit of an issue with this buddy right here.
23:52Yes.
23:53I do think that is definitely, um, the olive oil itself has been affected by a defect.
24:00The brand itself is well known, very loved, and I've used them before and I have not gotten
24:05that, what we just got from Partana before.
24:08Yeah.
24:08So we'd have to give it another shot.
24:09Have to give it.
24:10Just not with that bottle.
24:11Agreed.
24:15Catches the light real nice in this one.
24:17Mm-hmm.
24:17Yeah, this will be pretty on a dish.
24:19I hope it's just as pretty in the glass.
24:21Getting back to that fruity nose.
24:22Nice olive scent.
24:24You kind of got a reach for the aromatics in it, but it's still there.
24:28It's still there.
24:28I have a theory about what this might be just by the look of it.
24:32The nose is more expressive than I think the palate is, but.
24:35I mean, it's got the spiciness.
24:37I mean, yeah, the nose is nice.
24:39The palate, yeah.
24:40It's flat, but it has that robust quality.
24:42So they're probably going to call it robust if they do.
24:45Yeah.
24:45It's making me think it's one of those very large brands
24:48that we probably know from the grocery store.
24:50Yeah, see, color-wise, it makes me think of Grazza.
24:53Oh, okay.
24:53Just because I drizzle that stuff on things for the look,
24:57you know, it's such a pretty little addition of color.
24:59That's, yeah, that's really the only thing that catches me there.
25:01And it smells okay, but I'm not consuming a lot of it.
25:06Does it feel a little old to you?
25:07It kind of feels a little old.
25:08Could be a little old, yeah.
25:09The finish is kind of flat.
25:10Mm-hmm.
25:11You know, nothing memorable about it.
25:12And it has a little bit of a pepperiness,
25:14but nothing where you'd get that fresh pungency.
25:17It's, you know.
25:17Yeah.
25:18It's reminding me of older oil.
25:19Four.
25:20I was going to go with a three on this one.
25:22So, yeah.
25:22Yeah, reasonable.
25:23Yeah, I'll stick with four, but I could have gone that low.
25:26Yeah.
25:27I'm a genius.
25:27You were right.
25:29Right?
25:30Well, I got to say, I use this product a lot for the look of things.
25:34The amount of my food that goes under photos,
25:37that gets this drizzled onto it.
25:39I mean, almost every day of my life.
25:42Yeah.
25:42Well, Grazas well know.
25:43We all know it.
25:44But yeah, anything out of a plastic bottle is just going to be my last choice.
25:48There you go.
25:50We did have a three-way tie for third place with Pompeian,
25:54Colavita, and Trader Joe's with eights across the board.
25:57That's just going to show you that no matter where you are,
25:59you're going to be able to find a solid olive oil.
26:02We've got our top two extra virgin olive oil brands right here.
26:04Our runner-up is Kostarina coming in with an 8.5.
26:07This was our only single varietal that we tasted.
26:11And honestly, the flavor notes that I picked up on this took me straight to Greece.
26:15This was a excellent olive oil.
26:17I was so happy that a single varietal was pulled out because this is a true expression of Koronecki.
26:22It was mild.
26:23It was buttery.
26:24It did have that beautiful citrus leaf, that herbaceousness.
26:27And it's perfect for marinating, grilling, salads, anything with lemon.
26:30And our winner for the extra virgin olive oil is Lucchini Italia coming in with a solid 9.
26:36This, out of all the olive oils, really gave me everything I was looking for in an olive oil.
26:41You know, I see this at grocery stores all the time and walk right past it.
26:44This is definitely going to be one of the ones that I go for.
26:47It's grassy, it's herbaceous, and it gives you those rustic Italian vibes.
26:51Everything that you would want.
26:53And I'm so happy that it's available at the grocery store.
26:57I'm walking out of here without, like, any concerns for my health, if anything.
27:02All I know is that I have had more, like, healthy fats than I probably have in years.
27:06Yeah, absolutely.
27:07I mean, I could go for more polyphenols, definitely some more single varietals.
27:11Yeah, my hair is going to be looking great tomorrow.
27:13Thank you, Sarah, for joining me and teaching me so much about olive oil.
27:17I honestly learn more than I think I've learned in a long time about anything related to food.
27:21Thank you so much.
27:22I really enjoyed being here.
27:23And if we missed any of your favorite grocery store brands, let us know in the comments.