Thank you to O.LIVE for sending us their Premium EVOO.
| Producer | O.Live – Trifasic Inversiones s.l. |
| Crop Year | 2019/2020 |
| Cultivar | Picual 100% |
| Region | Andalusia (Spain) |
| Harvesting Method | Early harvest |
| Extraction Method | Continuous – Cold extracted |
| Tasted on | May 2020 |
In the organoleptic analysis, Premium EVOO shows a particularly strong green vegetable mark – this is why it is able to enrich and well combine to dishes with a medium to strong flavour. Premium is manufactured in Jaén, a province considered the world capital region of olive oil production; O.Live, the producer, has interpreted one of the typical cultivars of Andalusia, the Picual, in a way which makes its EVOO to not to your typical Picual olive oil, characterizes by hints of tomato and banana, but a product enriched by more vegetable notes and a spicy soul instead.
Although Premium EVOO is an olive oil which in the olfactory and gustatory analysis presents itself with a medium-high intensity, we were pleasantly surprised to find it very balanced in the kitchen, with aromas which well harmonize with various dishes, and pleasant pungency and bitterness on the palate. In our review, you will discover Premium EVOO’s perfect boosting character, and its ability to clean and balance the taste in the mouth in the aftertaste.
And if you’re interested in knowing more about the products of the rich territory of Jaén, read the review of O.live Ecologico.
Appearance & Visual Analysis
The colour of this extra virgin olive oil is reminiscent of lime green, with highlights ranging from avocado green to lemon yellow.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Tomato Leaf Green Tomato Grass Asparagus Lettuce Chicory Green Almond Jasmine Green Banana Sage 
Thyme Rosemary
Premium EVOO is intense and complex on the nose, full of pleasant green vegetable aromas: cut grass, green tomato and tomato leaf, asparagus, lettuce, chicory and green almond. The scent is also enriched by light floral notes of jasmine, fruity tones of green banana, and a mix of Mediterranean pot herbs (sage, thyme and rosemary among all).
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Green Almond Walnut Husk Artichoke White Pepper Cinnamon Oregano
On the palate, Premium EVOO expresses all its rich, green vegetable soul: green almond, walnut peel, grass and artichoke satisfy the taste with a strong character. Those flavours are enriched by spicy notes of white pepper and cinnamon, and a balanced note of fresh oregano. The pungency is moderated and feels pleasant in the throat.
We love it with…
Read how to pair food and EVOO in our article: Olive Oil Pairings.
Premium EVOO has a particularly strong mark of green plants; this is why it is able to enrich and well combine to dishes with a medium to strong flavour; as for appetizers, bread with Pecorino cheese and fresh fava beans is a typical spring dish in the Italian region of Abruzzo, which pairs perfectly with Premium.
Premium EVOO can also add its strong bitterness to legume soups (lentils, beans, chickpeas) and mushroom-based dishes (sautéed or grilled mushrooms, risotto or omelette).
Speaking of risotto, read our instructions on how to prepare a creamy risotto without butter, using only EVOO for the mantecatura: you can then prepare a risotto with vegetables (beets, asparagus or courgettes, to preference), or one with mixed minced meat (just like risotto all’isolana) and paired them to Premium EVOO – this way you will discover its perfect enriching character and its characteristic feature which helps to clean and balance the taste in the mouth in the aftertaste, even after a cheese-based risotto.
Should you also try Premium on potatoes? Why not, add it on gnocchi or potato cutlets, quiches or Spanish tortilla. You can then pair it with stuffed vegetables (courgettes, aubergines, peppers, tomatoes stuffed with bread or rice or meat) or parmigiana; Premium EVOO will give your preparations spiciness and green vegetable tones which will make your dishes unique.
Premium EVOO can also add a pleasant vegetable note to meat, enriching your preparations with a special “green” and spicy flavour which will boost and balance the taste; we advise to try it on grilled meat in particular.
Last but not least, the pairing between Premium EVOO and pizza – try it on ortolana, pizza with potatoes, or on focaccia with fresh tomatoes and salumi.
We have chosen to try Premium EVOO on a special and tasty recipe, a preparation in which every component of the dish needs a strong help to harmonize with the other ingredients: pork with plums and chicory sauce. Premium EVO oil perfectly balanced the taste of the sauce, adding green vegetable notes to its sweetness; the feeling of pungency then helps to clean the taste in the mouth in the aftertaste.
O.Live – Trifasic Inversiones s.l.
200 year-old olive trees, the beautiful cultural and naturalistic diverse region of Andalusia, a true passion for olive oil manufacturing, a careful study of the different production phases, the choice of an early harvest (beginning of October) to use the olives at their highest quality stage, the rigorous selection of the best fruits, the temperature constantly kept below 23 °C during grinding, the reduction of the average malaxing time – these are the choices made by O.live to preserve the quality of its 100% Picual organic olive oil.
O.live is based in Jaén, a province considered the world capital region of olive oil production; from there you can take the Olive Tree Route, in Sierra Mágina, and enjoy the view of the sweeps of olive trees all around the homonymous Natural Park.
O.LIVE
Calle La Rioja, 11 Bajo
23009 Jaén – Spagna
O.Live Website
Terroir & Region
Spain – Andalusia
Andalusia is one of the most populated regions of Spain; there can be also found 62% of the olive trees of Spain, with Andalusia being also the region where 81.6% of the total Spanish production of olive oil is produced. Olive cultivation in Andalusia is concentrated in the cities of Cordoba, Antequera, Malaga, Granada, Linares and Jaèn, which is also considered the world capital of olive oil. Discover Spanish regions.
Cultivar / Olive Variety
Picual
The Picual, also known as Marteña or Lopereña, is one of the most common Spanish cultivars, which can be mostly found in the Jaén province but is also popular in Granada and Cordoba, and all around the world. Olive oils made of this variety are characterized by typical vegetable scents of grass, fig, tomato leaf, green tomato and quintessential aromas of green banana and green apple. Discover Spanish cultivars.