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Sorta OT - Premium EV Olive Oils

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Botch
Botch Posts: 15,471
in EggHead Forum
I'm about a year behind in reading my Cook's Illustrated mags, and right now I'm reading about a tasting of "premium" EVOO's (they'd done a previous, "supermarket"-available tasting, in which "California Olive Ranch" took top honors; I haven't tried it yet).  
They didn't give their usual "Recommended/Rec with Reservations/Not Recommended" ratings, with up to 5 stars; all were very good according to the tasters.  Instead, they grouped them as "Mild, Medium, Medium-Robust, and Robust".  They did single out one oil, Gaea Fresh, as being extremely loved by everyone on the panel; it sells for $19.50 for 17 oz.  
While picking up groceries for the weekend at the Hill AFB Commissary, I noticed that they actually carried Gaea Fresh, $12 a bottle.  Score!  
I read the bottle's label at home, and noticed it was bottled in.... 2014!  Gahh!!!  The label did say it was "best used by" 3 years after pressing/bottling, it has a cork sealed in plastic, the bottle is opaque black glass, so I'm sure its okay, if not prime.  I'll be trying it tomorrow with cannellini beans and korean chicken tenders, will post how it tastes.  
The bottle label also has its rating on a circular graph that was also shown in the CI article, called its "Sensory Profile"; several "subjective" qualities that premium olive oils should have, according to an international rating society with a lot of fancy italian words in the title.  These qualities are, in order:
Artichoke/Grass/Green/Greenly Fruity/Ripely Fruity/Olive Leaf/Bitter/Pungent/Retronasal Persistance/Fluidity/then back to Artichoke
This oil scored pretty evenly across all qualities, albeit a little shy on the Artichoke.  I'm anxious to try this tomorrow.
 
 
It must also be noted that "Retronasal Persistance" WBAGNFARB!  :triumph:
_____________

Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,471
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    Here's an example of the "Sensory Profile" graph, although not of GAEA's:
     

     

    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,677
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    I have watched the show, but can't find any of the brands locally.
    A good quality olive oil can really make the difference in a meal.
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  • J_Que
    J_Que Posts: 223
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    I purchased a couple bottles of Gaea Fresh a month or so ago for around $25 a bottle, but it was from 2016. I was kind of pissed about it at the time, but it was still very good. The family tore thru both bottles in less than 3 weeks. I now have to hide the Mcevoy ranch limited addition bottles away. Good oil can get really pricey.   
    I know all the rules, but the rules do not know me.

    Small, Medium, 2 Large, XL ,Stumps XL Stretch, Workhorse 1975
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  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
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    Cook's Illustrated also did a story on "real" EVOO vs OO that has been cut with some other type of oil.  The true test is when you refrigerate it and it solidifies. If it stays in a liquid form, it has been cut with something else. Also, read the label carefully. 
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,615
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    Shameless plug:

    https://www.sbthp.org/mission-mills-olives


    This is my BiL’s gig, the oil is fantastic and the trust needs the support to continue to preserve the rich Indian, colonial and mission history in the Santa Barbara area.  They dig up and rebuild cool shjt.

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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,346
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    The "EVOO solidifies in the fridge" test is a myth.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
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    HeavyG said:
    The "EVOO solidifies in the fridge" test is a myth.


    There are several brands that are pure OO and we have had those that were blended.  The real EVOO always solidifies, the blended varieties did not. YMMV. 
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,043
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    Legume said:
    Shameless plug:

    https://www.sbthp.org/mission-mills-olives


    This is my BiL’s gig, the oil is fantastic and the trust needs the support to continue to preserve the rich Indian, colonial and mission history in the Santa Barbara area.  They dig up and rebuild cool shjt.

    Tried ...


    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,346
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    onedbguru said:
    HeavyG said:
    The "EVOO solidifies in the fridge" test is a myth.


    There are several brands that are pure OO and we have had those that were blended.  The real EVOO always solidifies, the blended varieties did not. YMMV. 
    From but one of many google links:

    "The North American Olive Oil Association called the home test “completely false and misleading.” Almost any oil will solidify at cold temperatures, depending on its chemical compounds, and even within the EVOO category, factors such as olive variety and time of harvest, will affect solidification.

    Expert olive oil taster Richard Gawel said that the home test “is not a reliable indicator” of an oil’s EVOO authenticity. In his blog, Gawel explains why the myth may have come into being. EVOOs are largely made of monounsaturated fats that coagulate at refrigerator temperatures while other oils tend to be made of polyunsaturated fats that can only solidify at much lower temperatures — lower than regular refrigerators can reach.

    The fridge test would work if EVOO were 100 percent monounsaturated and other oils were 100 percent polyunsaturated, said Gawel, but oils usually contain a combination of fats. He cites peanut oil as an example saying that it has high monounsaturated content and will pass the fridge test.

    Even an EVOO that has been adulterated with a bit of canola oil will solidify in the refrigerator and pass the test, even though it is not pure EVOO, said Gawel.

    Flynn told Olive Oil Times that the refrigerator method is not completely foolproof. “While it is true that refined oils will not coagulate in the cold, it is also true that some olive oil varieties will not coagulate either.” In addition, the test will not tell a consumer if the EVOO tastes good.

    Eryn Balch, executive vice president of the North American Olive Oil Association said that the widely-circulated fridge test myth “illustrates the great need for reliable sources of olive oil education.”



    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,615
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    Doh!  Sorry @Ozzie_Isaac. Next fall maybe.

    Somebody here is trying to take the enjoyment out of olive oil.  :|
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,043
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    Legume said:
    Doh!  Sorry @Ozzie_Isaac. Next fall maybe.

    Somebody here is trying to take the enjoyment out of olive oil.  :|
    No worries, I was excited to try legit OO.  I'll keep any eye out on fall.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
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  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,268
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    Just went and looked in our cupboard and saw the California Olive Ranch. We have higher end oils that I normal gravitate towards but I'll taste the ranch one and let y'all know.
    Mountain View, CA
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