If you read the last (very long) blog post, you would have noticed that the geek quotient was, ehm, very high. Lots of specific terms, technique and tasting jargon. It was my way of getting a little stress out while I waited for a letter…
Then, I got the letter.
After a nearly 6-year journey, Sylverleaf’s resident blendmaster has been selected to become a founding member of the University of California at Davis’ olive oil taste panel. The new taste panel is composed of a group of 20 of the most highly-trained olive oil experts in the United States. If you know what a Sommelier is, then that is what each of the panel members now is in the olive oil world.
To put a little more perspective on this nomination: More people have been to space than have this certification.
There are approximately 150 people in the entire world who have met the intense requirements set by the International Olive Council. Not only must a panel member meet these requirements, that panel member must also manage to maintain the high standards through constant training and testing. This taste panel will be the only internationally-accredited group in the United States, finally putting us on equal footing with our European counterparts.
Not to sound silly, but this is a HUGE step forward for the US olive oil industry. A real shift in the dynamic.
So, you might be asking, what does this taste panel do? In double- or triple-blind trials, we certify olive oils as extra virgin (or as not extra virgin). We look at the chemical testing results (see a previous blog post for more info), then sit down with the oil and rate it in a very controlled environment. After evaluating the IOC-mandated attributes (see previous blog), we go further and analyze more than 30 additional attributes. Our goal is to provide the olive oil producer with a very detailed and highly descriptive review of their olive oil. A review that could guide them to produce a better olive oil in the future.
I’m super excited to be working with my fellow taste panel members and helping everyone to make better olive oil!
As usual, if you have questions, send them over to blog@sylverleaf.com.
Since we’re in the middle of blending, I thought that it would be the perfect time to fill you in on how it all happens. We start the blending process by tasting each and every batch of oil that we have. During the tasting, the oil is rated in quite a few categories, these being the most important (see below for definitions of the terms used):
- Check for defects in the oil.
- Rate the fruitiness of each oil and determine whether that fruitiness is from green fruit or ripe fruit.
- Rate the bitterness.
- Rate the pungency.
- Rate the intensity of the oil, both in flavor and aroma.
- Next, check for balance and complexity.
- Finally, we go back and try to pick out individual flavors and aromas, along with mouthfeel and persistence.
After all of the ratings are compiled in a spreadsheet, we look for the oils that really stand out with high ratings. Those oils become the base for the particular blend (Estate, Foothills Blend or end blend).
We then come up with the percentages of each oil to go into the final olive oil and do a test blend of only 5 ounces. That test blend is allowed to settle out and come together over a 24-hour period. After that time is finished, we taste the blend and rate it again, comparing these new ratings with the expected results. We’ll then tweak the blend to add a little flavor here, a little pungency there, some green fruitiness here and some bitterness there.
For the last step, we get out the pumps, pipes and blending vats. All of the oils that we want to use are then combined on a large scale and will soon be ready for bottling. All in all the blending process takes about 4 days to complete. It’s a laborious process (would you want to drink 12-16 ounces of olive oil in the morning–for 2 or 3 days in a row?!) that many other olive oil makers do not follow, but we know it helps to make an extremely reliable and consistent product.
Definitions
Negative Attributes
There are only six major defects that could be present in an olive oil. They are listed below along with a brief explanation of the term. I list the defects first because, if we find them in an oil, it is instantly disqualified from blending. There is no need to go further with that oil, except for soap or lip balm!
- Fustiness or Muddy Sediment
This is a defect in the handling of the olive oils after milling. This one is the producer’s fault, for sure. Oils with this defect will have a flavor that is exactly like the sediment that settles out of olive oil over time. Since we at Sylverleaf don’t filter our olive oils, we have to pay particular attention to a racking schedule (blog soon to follow on racking) to ensure that this defect doesn’t pop up. If you’ve never smelled olive meat after milling, this one is a little difficult to describe… Basically, it is caused by anaerobic fermentation and has that characteristic flavor and smell.
- Musty / Humid / Earthy
We don’t see this much in the US, but the oils have a certain “wet” quality. You can almost taste humidity and mold in the oil. This defect is caused by large concentrations of fungi and yeasts on the olives prior to milling. Typically, it is caused by olives sitting at the mill, waiting to be processed (for several days) in wet or humid conditions.
- Winey / Vinegary / Acidic / Sour
Just like it sounds, you’ll sense an off wine flavor, or a strong flavor of vinegar and sourness. This is caused by aerobic fermentation in the olives or poor cleaning techniques at the mill. If a racking schedule is not closely adhered to, an olive oil producer might see this defect.
- Metallic
You won’t taste this one very often, but it is a flavor that tastes exactly like metal. It is also due to prolonged exposure to metals (not stainless steel) in the processing or storage of the oil. If you buy oil in a tin container, you know this flavor well.
- Rancid
This is a perception that many people equate with olive oil. This is because we, in the USA, have been forced to purchase low quality olive oils at the supermarket. Many of these imported and heavily processed oils are thoroughly rancid. It is a flavor that we can instantly recognize. Many times, this defect manifests itself by a distinct flavor of cardboard, wax or Play Doh.
- Other
This is the most difficult to define! This can be any perception of flavor or aroma or mouthfeel that is just not right. For instance, a strong flavor of wet wood indicates that the olives were injured by frost before harvest. Another good example is the taste of rotten bacon. This flavor is caused by an infestation of the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae (Diptera, Tephritidae)) in an orchard (a very common problem around the world, but easily treated with organic-approved sprays). There are quite a few of these defects that just don’t fit into any other category, so they go here.
Positive Attributes
- Fruitiness
Fruitiness is just that, how fruity in flavor and aroma is the oil. Is that fruitiness from green fruit (think green grass, artichoke, green olive, green banana, herbs) or from ripe fruit (ripe apple, ripe banana, floral, buttery, nutty or tropical flavors). A good balance of both green and ripe fruit is what we strive for at Sylverleaf.
- Bitterness
People usually cringe when we talk about bitterness, but it is a vital quality to an olive oil. Olives are bitter, green or ripe, they’re bitter. That bitterness is what makes olive oil so versatile and interesting. Here at Sylverleaf, we shoot for the mid to lower range of bitterness, but it’s always there.
- Pungency
Pungency is that biting, cough-inducing sensation at the back of your throat when you taste a very fresh olive oil. It is not a strong sensation in a Spanish style olive oil, but if you’ve ever tasted a true Italian oil, it is THE sensation. If you like Verde, then you’re a fan of pungency. The Estate will have a good bit of pungency, but the Foothills Blend won’t have much of it at all.
- Intensity
The intensity of the oil is a rating of both flavor and aroma. It defines just how much the flavors and smells stand out. Typically, our Verde will have high intensity ratings, the Sylverleaf Estate will have a medium intensity and the Foothills Blend will be medium to medium-low intensity.
- Balance
This is an attribute that we spend quite a bit of time perfecting. Balance is a judgement of how the oil hits your senses. If an oil is very well balanced, no one flavor or smell will jump out above the rest. Everything will just meld together to give a single snapshot of that oil. If one attribute does jump out at you, like bitterness or maybe green grass smells, then that oil is not balanced (not that this is a negative, but just not as positive).
- Complexity
Complexity is hard to define, but easy to sense. Basically an oil is complex if one can pull out a wide range of flavors and smells when tasting the oil. In our opinion, the more complex, the better (keeping an eye on balance is the trick!).
- Mouthfeel
This rating attempts to define how the oil feels in your mouth. Is is waxy in texture? Greasy? Can you feel the oil in your mouth long after you have swallowed it?
- Persistence
Persistence is a measure of how long the flavors and aromas stay with you after ingesting the olive oil sample. A good oil will be somewhat persistent, but not obnoxious or overwhelming.
I hope that this post helps you to understand the craft of making olive oil a little better. If you have any questions, please send them to me. I do answer all questions!
I promised some tasting notes a few weeks ago, but have just now had the time to actually go back and taste the oil. So, olive oil nerds, here you go:
On the nose this release of Verde has notes of artichoke, green grass, ripe olives and a faint hint of olive flower.
In the mouth, you’ll notice the smooth taste of ripe olives, green apple, white pepper and leafy green, herbaceous notes. There is a mild pungency with very little bitterness.
In a few words, this is a classic smooth Spanish style olive oil. Very easy to use, not “in your face,” and very versatile.
As a side note, this is the first oil that we have produced that contains our new varieties, Picual, Hojiblanca and Arbequina along with the classic Mission and Manzanillo.
Enjoy!
