Notes on olive oil & taste
The acidity figure printed on an extra virgin olive oil label is not a measure of sour taste — it is a chemical indicator of free fatty acid content that reflects the condition of the fruit before and after pressing.
Every EVOO tasting note circles back to the same three words. Here is how IOC sensory panels actually use them — and why all three must be present for a oil to hold its extra virgin status.
Two phrases appear on nearly every premium EVOO label — cold press and early harvest. Behind the marketing language lie hard constraints: pressing temperature, the ripeness window, and the hours between harvest and mill.