IN THE interests of fairness, I went back again and again sniffing, nibbling, cleansing the palate to make sure of my verdict. All olive oils tested were extra virgin olive oils produced in Cyprus. I found that some brands were either inadequately labelled or their labels were misleading. A couple of brands stated that their product was cholesterol free. All oils are cholesterol free; it’s not an extra quality that only those two brands have. Also, the term ‘no preservatives’ does not apply to olive oil because for centuries it has been used to preserve other food.
Archontiko Koroneiki
This olive oil won second prize in Madrid 2003. A nicely presented bottle but inadequately labelled. Even though it says that it has a very low acidity rate it does not state the percentage. It has a rich flavour and the smell of freshly cut grass. A good feature is the controlled pouring system that enables smooth, controlled dripping/drizzling with no waste. An olive oil for people who appreciate good quality eating. Selected and bottled by Novel Agro Ltd.
Price: £2.95 for 500ml glass bottle
Rating: ****
Sekep
Bottled by the Cyprus Olive Products Marketing Board, this olive oil monopolised the Cyprus market for many decades. Its appearance remains the same as I remember 20 years ago. This particular olive oil was lighter in colour than the rest of the group and had 0-0.8% acidity. It had a rancid and commercial smell associated with some restaurant food. The most inadequately labelled brand.
Price: £2.40 for a 1lt plastic bottle
Rating: *
Kypriaco Agios Georgios
A nondescript smell at first. A pleasant first taste that turns to an offensive aftertaste with rancid residues. Bottled by Mavroudes and Bro Ltd. 0-0.8% acidity.
Price: £2.65 for a 1lt plastic bottle
Rating: *
Ambrosia
I had a hard time trying to decipher any smell. It had a very strong flavour and the after taste I found offensive. The bottle had a good grip and is well labelled apart from not stating the acidity level. It also features a controlled drip.
Price: £2.25 for a 1lt plastic bottle
Rating: **
Oleo
Had a fresh smell with a wonderful aftertaste. I had to finish off sampling the oil with more bread cubes. The label states that the product is free from any chemicals and preservatives, but it has no certification. It does not specify the extraction procedure or the olive variety used. It has the highest acidity 0-1%. Produced by Savvas Savvides Oilworks Ltd.
Price: £2.60 for a 1lt plastic bottle
Rating: ***
Oleastro Organic
Top marks for this olive oil. It is the priciest of them all but also the lowest in acidity with 0-0.6%. They use only one variety of olive, the koroneiki and the olive oil is extracted using the cold pressed method with the help of millstones. With the first sniff you think of spring and then a strong burst of vegetation overwhelms you. It left a sweet pleasant aftertaste. Oleastro Enterprises Ltd is the only olive oil company that is in control of all the different stages of cultivating, producing, bottling and storing their olive oil. It is the only one of the group of olive oils tested that specifies on the bottle that it is certified to the HACCP (hygiene and safety) and ISO 9001:2000 (quality) standards. No control drip though.
Price: £3.50 for a 500ml dark glass bottle
Rating: *****
Zoe
Spicy young oil using one variety of olive, which will mellow with time. It had a very strong bitter aftertaste, which I did not like. Very nicely presented but labelled only in Greek. Bottled by the same company as Archontiko. Again with the drizzle control system, which I find very helpful, especially for young chefs.
Price: £3.15 for a 750ml dark glass bottle
Rating: ***
