How to Taste Olive Oil at Home in 3 Steps

11 November 2026

Here is how to taste olive oil at home: pour a little oil into a white wine glass or a sherry glass, warm it in your hand to about 28 °C, breathe in deeply, then take a small sip. A good extra virgin olive oil smells of fresh things from nature and tastes fruity, bitter and pungent. Bitterness and pungency are positive qualities.

I am an olive oil sommelière and a member of the EIOOC jury. Tasting is not complicated and needs no prior knowledge: all you need is a glass, a little calm and your nose.

The 3 steps of tasting

Step 1: The right glass and the right temperature

Use a white wine glass or a sherry glass, one that narrows slightly toward the top to concentrate the aromas. Pour in a small amount of oil. Cup the glass in one hand and cover it with the other. The oil warms to about 28 °C and the aromas open up.

Step 2: Smell

Breathe in deeply over the glass. A quality olive oil always smells of something good: tomato leaf, tomato, freshly cut grass or artichoke, among others. Other nuances include green apple, green banana or almond. If the oil does not smell of anything from nature, that is a sign it is not of high quality.

Step 3: Taste

Take a small sip and spread it over your whole tongue, drawing in a little air through your mouth so the aromas rise to the back of your nose. Notice three things:

the fruitiness, with positive aromas in the mouth too,
the bitterness,
the pungency, which sometimes rises to the throat and makes you want to cough.

In a good extra virgin olive oil, bitterness and pungency are not only normal, they are necessary. A good oil is a living balance of these three sensations.

The most common defects

Defects are part of tasting too, because this is where the pleasure disappears:

Rancid: a smell of old nuts or varnish. The oil is oxidized.
Musty-humid: a cellar or mushroom smell, usually from olives stored too damp.
Winey-vinegary: a note of wine or vinegar, a sign of fermentation.
Fusty: the olives were left piled up for too long before pressing.

Frequently asked questions about tasting olive oil

Is it normal for olive oil to taste bitter and pungent?

Yes, it is a good sign. Bitterness and pungency are positive attributes. Some varieties, such as Arbequina, are very mild though.

Which glass should I use to taste at home?

A white wine glass or a sherry glass. What matters is that you can warm it in your hand.

Why warm the oil to 28 °C?

At this temperature the aromas are released and you can recognize smells and defects more easily.

What should good olive oil smell like?

Something from nature: tomato leaf, tomato, fresh grass or artichoke, among others. If it does not, the oil is probably not of high quality.

Keep reading

I taste every oil and check its lab analyses before selecting it. Browse my oils for dressings and for cooking, meet the producers or get to know me.

Elia Fuster Rius, olive oil sommelière and founder of L’Atelier des Saisons. All our oils are filtered and I taste each one myself before selecting it.