Bitter Is Better: Why a Peppery Olive Oil Is a Sign of Quality

Nothing defines a high quality olive oil quite like its distinctive, peppery bite. Peppery flavor in olive oil isn’t only a desirable taste, but also a signal that it may be a high-polyphenol olive oil which brings with it numerous health benefits. In addition to a peppery feeling in the back of the throat, polyphenol rich olive oils often exhibit notes of fruits, grass and herbs. They should also be bitter, yet balanced. This guide will teach you how to taste olive oils so you can identify an excellent polyphenol-rich (but not overwhelming) EVOO among a crowd. 

Key Factors That Impact the Taste of Olive Oil 

Several key factors contribute to the taste of the high-quality olive oil. At Frantoio Grove we pay particular attention to each of these factors which help set our award-winning EVOOs apart: 

• Soil & Nutrition: Just like a fine wine, an olive oil’s taste is dependent on the unique quality of the soil in which it is grown. Our olives take their flavor from the compounds and nutrients present in their soil, which is why we avoid pesticides and herbicides and focus instead on enhancing the natural balance of micronutrients when fertilizing our soil. 
• Milling technique: In addition to prioritizing the quality of our fruit, our team at Frantoio Grove maintains pristine milling equipment and mills our olives at a low temperature in order to minimize any oxidation that might occur during the milling process. Because we mill at a low temperature, our olive oils are considered cold-pressed. This means they are full of healthy enzymes and polyphenols.  
• Polyphenol Content: Much of the olive oil industry is honed in on producing high-polyphenol olive oil, which is aptly marketed as the very best of EVOOS. However, olive oils that are too high in polyphenols actually compromise on taste and are too bitter to enjoy in the kitchen. We aim for high-polyphenol levels in the 300-400 ppm range, and are careful not to veer into the excess zone of 500+ ppm. 

How Do Professional Olive Oil Tastings Work?

A professional olive oil tasting follows a very specific process. To begin, a professional olive oil taster, also known as an olive oil sommelier, will pour one tablespoon (15 ml) of oil into a small dark glass vessel for tasting. Pouring too much or too little oil may dilute the oil’s aromas. 

Most professionals rely on specific cobalt blue tasting glasses from Italy called assaggiaolio. According to the International Olive Oil Council (IOC), there are strict rules that define the shape, size, and durability of these glasses. For example, they must be free of flaws, heat-resistant up to 30 degrees Celsius, and be accompanied by a watch glass which can cover and protect the oil inside from dust or other impurities. The blue color also disguises the color of the olive oil, which is helpful since color isn’t a factor by which olive oil should be judged. While most professionals still opt to taste olive oil with blue glasses, others have more recently argued in favor of red olive oil tasting glasses, which they believe better disguise the olive oil’s yellow hues.  

Before tasting, a professional will warm olive oil in with a specialized olive oil warmer until it reaches 26-30 degrees Celsuis. It’s also possible to warm olive oil by holding the glass in your hand. Warming helps to release the delicate aromas within the olive oil. 

Finally, before tasting the oil, an olive oil expert will always smell the oil. Only after taking in the oil’s distinct aromas and making any necessary notes will the taster take a small sip. Professionals don’t gulp olive oil, but do sip enough to coat all the different parts of their tongue. Many professionals use a technique of pulling in air through their teeth and then breathing out of their nose while tasting. This technique aeriates the olive oil, unlocks additional flavors and can even enhance the olive oil’s pungency or pepperiness. 

How Are Olive Oils Scored By Professionals?

The IOC always scores olive oils via a panel of judges, rather than based on the subjective opinion of a single judge. When a professional olive oil tasting takes place, the certified panelists each rate each olive oil from 1 - 10 for each of the following categories: 

• Fruitiness
• Bitterness
• Pungency

The judges also score the olive oils for the presence and intensity of any defects in the oil. Common defects includes: 

• Rancidity 
• Mustiness
• Vinegary Taste 

In order to officially qualify as an EVOO, an olive oil must be free from defects and have a median fruitiness rating of at least 1. The rating for bitterness and pungency are allowed more variation since every EVOO does have a unique taste and character depending on where its olives are grown and how it is produced. 

Frantoio Grove’s 2024 EVOO is an example of a third-party certified EVOO. In a recent evaluation by the California Olive Oil Council, it received 0 for defects and 5.5 for fruitiness!

What Are Pungency and Bitterness?

While fruitiness is fairly easy to define and identify in an extra-virgin olive oil, bitterness and pungency are a little more elusive. Pungency and bitterness are two characteristics of high-quality extra virgin olive oils that are apparent in the oil’s taste. Both characteristics are attributed to the presence of natural compounds within the olives that the oil is made from. Young, fresh olives grown in healthy, organic soil are most likely to result in pungency and bitterness when pressed into an olive oil. 

Pungency is often described as a peppery taste. It’s felt in the back of the throat as a tingling or spicy sensation. Pungency is attributed to oleocanthal, a polyphenol that occurs naturally in olives and which is also an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Generally, the fresher the oil, the more pungent an oil (and therefore the more tingly in your throat.)

By contrast, bitterness is primarily felt on the tongue. Bitterness can sometimes taste like mustard or dandelion greens, dark chocolate, or strong tea. This flavor can be attributed to the polyphenol oleuropein which also comes from fresh, unripe olives. Bitterness fades with age, so when an olive oil tastes bitter, it’s a sign that the oil is fresh! 

How To Taste Olive Oil at Home: A Guide for Casual Enthusiasts 

You don’t need to be an olive oil sommelier to appreciate the taste of excellent olive oils. In fact, it’s very easy to host an olive oil tasting in the comfort of your home! 

To begin, choose a round glass like a wine glass. If you have one that’s dark in color available, even better. Pour a small amount of oil into the glass. Observe its texture, but try not to judge the oil based on its color. 

Before taking a sip, warm the bowl of the glass with your hands and carefully smell the oil. Ask yourself if you smell aromas of any specific herbs, spices, fruits or grasses. If you do, make a note! 

After smelling the oil, take a small sip of the oil, enough that you can taste the oil with all parts of your tongue. Ask yourself what flavors you taste and where in your mouth you taste them. Remember that whereas bitterness often presents itself on the middle of the tongue, pungency may feel more like a peppery sensation in your throat and may even make you cough. Also consider how long the oil’s aftertaste lingers. Make notes! 

If you’re tasting multiple olive oils, it’s recommended that you try a palate cleanser in between each oil, such as water, plain or sparkling, or even a slice of green apple. While it’s not necessarily recommended that you taste the olive oils with food like bread, you might decide to take an even more casual approach to a group tasting and vote for certain favorite oils in categories like “best for dipping” or “best for salads.”

What To Cook with A Peppery Olive Oil 

Now that you have tasted samples of several delicious olive oils and identified your favorites, how should you use the remainder of the bottles? We highly recommend using them every day in some of our favorite recipes! 

Remember, olive oil doesn’t have an infinite shelf life, so it’s best to consume a bottle within 2-3 months of opening in order to preserve its flavor and health benefits. For more tips on olive oil storage, check our recent post about how to store olive oil to preserve its polyphenols. 

Some of our favorite ways to use a bitter or peppery oil include: 

• Olive Oil Bread Dip: This recipe is so easy, it doesn’t require cooking! This bread dip shows off the peppery, grassy flavor of our olive oil without requiring you to turn on the stove. 
• Pesto alla Trapanese or Corn and Basil Cream Pasta are both delicious options for summer pastas that are enhanced by the peppery taste of our EVOOS. 
• Drizzle EVOO over any fresh, in-season veggies. We love fresh EVOO on artichokes, asparagus, and even grilled veggie medleys. 
• Who says olive oil can’t make a great dessert? Try our recipe for peach and olive oil gelato or make a simple, elegant dessert from vanilla bean ice cream, a sprinkle of fleur de sel, and a drizzle of EVOO

Try Frantoio Grove’s Bold, Peppery, and Polyphenol-Rich Olive Oil 

When you plan your next home tasting, be sure to include Frantoio Grove’s 2024 EVOO, which can be compared with our Day Lot November 27th 2025 EVOO or the Katz Chef’s Pick EVOO, a curated blend from Albert Katz whose olive oil is milled right here ar Frantoio Grove and whose signature vinegars perfectly complement our olive oils. We know you’ll find a favorite olive oil among our offerings!