Olive Oil is a very sensorial experience

It’s more than just something you cook with — good olive oil is a *full body* experience. A really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil will engage all your senses at once; you smell it, then taste it, then let it coat your palate and experience (if you’re lucky) that special peppery tingle. Smelling and tasting are how professional olive oil tasters (yeah that’s a thing) determine “fruitiness” in an olive oil — one of the #1 attributes in a high quality olive oil.

What is “fruitiness” in olive oil?

It’s an aroma and flavor sensation that is caused by the very special naturally occurring compounds in a very high quality olive oil! Fruitiness can show up in olive oil as a very bright, green flavor — with tasting notes like freshly cut grass, tomato leaves, or green apple, all depending on which olives were used and when they were harvested. In The International Olive Oil Council’s professional tasting standards, fruitiness is outlined as a very positive attribute, and one of the most defining characteristics of high quality olive oil.

What is the Fruitiness Scale? 

Those professional tasters rank the fruitiness on a simple 0-10 scale, where 0 is none and anything >6 is intense and robust fruitiness. The International Olive Council’s and industry standards rank fruitiness by intensity, like this:

IOC Score - Taste

0 - Not fruity, flat, neutral aroma

>0 to ≥3 - Light, mild fruitiness

 >3 to ≥6 - Medium, moderate fruitiness

>6 - Intense, robust fruitiness

This scale helps with consistent evaluation of olive oils that span all different harvests, regions, and varietals.

How Do I Experience Fruitiness? 

You don’t need a lab coat or extra taste buds to experience good ol’ fruitiness :-) When you know, you know! Here’s how to get the full fruitiness experience in the comfort of your own home:

Warm the oil

Pour some olive oil into a glass and gently warm it with your hands. This will release the aromatic compounds and is a recommended first step according to professional tasters! 

Smell the oil

Take a deep whiff. Does it smell fresh? Green and herbal? Does it remind you of an apple, tomato or grass? The smell of the oil is a huge indicator for its overall fruitiness.

Sip & swirl 

Take a tiny sip and let the olive oil coat your tongue. (Fruitiness will be bright and balanced, not heavy or greasy.)

Sit with it

Are you experiencing a harmonious, balanced brightness? That’s that good-good fruitiness.

Why Does Fruitiness Matter? 

It’s not just a flavor note — it’s a signal of a high quality olive oil. Olive oils that rank high on the fruitiness scale also often:

Have higher antioxidant levels

Are rich in polyphenols

Are fresher and more delicious

Undergo more careful production

In short, fruity olive oil = fresh, high quality olive oil.

Where do Sizzle & Drizzle Land on the Scale? 

While the official ranking scale goes up to 10, it’s *very rare* to find an olive oil that scores above a 5 or 6. Our very own Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil consistently ranks >5 on the fruitiness scale, meaning it’s on the upper end of medium fruitiness! Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil is slightly more mild (due to its later harvest date) and ranks consistently in the >3.5-4 range, giving it a more balanced and mellow fruitiness level.

Our olive oil sommelier Javier (hi Javier!!!) tastes hundreds of Sizzle and Drizzle samples every harvest to ensure that we only bottle those with the very best flavors. An additional tasting panel and continuous testing confirms the flavor profile as up to our Graza standards, and careful storage and bottling ensures that it stays that way. (We even use special Drizzle-green locks on our tanks of olive oil to keep it super fresh and safe!!)

Experience the fruitiness at home

Use Drizzle to dress a salad. Dip some bread in it. Top some yogurt. Drizzle is like a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of flaky salt — use it to enhance the flavor of a dish and tie everything together.

Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil is slightly more mellow, but still has that signature fruity flavor. Use it to roast chicken or veggies, or bake a beautiful olive oil cake.

Have your friends over and conduct a little at-home olive oil tasting. See if you can call out the flavor notes and experience the fruitiness first hand!