Sardel Chili Infused Olive Oil - 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Cooking & Salad Dressing, Cold Extracted in Italy, Polyphenol Rich, 16.9oz

This really is a fantastic quality olive oil, you can really tell the difference in complexity over even decent $15 bottles you might find at the grocery store. I don't always buy all organic, but I have read that the organic seal goes a long way when it comes to olive oil, even more than other foods, and ensures you are getting what you pay for with no additives. I would rather buy a USDA organic labeled US grown oil than a non-organic imported one as they are typically lower quality. Luckily this is the best of both worlds.The bottle is lovely, heavy ceramic that you can leave out on the counter to display. The oil itself is an almost melted butter color. I tried it on it's own and dipped some bread in it to test it out. The flavor starts a touch bitter and fruity and finishes with a surprising peppery spice note that lingers.It's obviously a luxury buy, I'm saving it for applications where it will be the star of the show-- dressings, dipping, drizzling on pasta. For me it's a little too nice to be a cooking oil. Only good things to say about it though, really nice.

This is the type of olive oil you buy because it's an experience and you're a connoisseur of olive oil or just of interesting flavors. When you taste this olive oil, the flavor transforms from fatty to utterly bitter and slightly fruity to a surprising spiciness. You swear it must have chilis or peppers in it, but when you look at the ingredients, it's really only olive oil. When the intense bitterness first hit, I thought I was going to hate it. But when it transitioned into spiciness, I was intrigued. I just kept pouring more in my saucer and licking it off my finger for the sensation. Other than licking it off your finger, I think it will taste nice with something where the olive oil is the star, like plain bread or plain hummus. But I'm also curious about dipping various things in it just to see how it pairs -- like fruit or veggies.

A couple of things about olive oil from my soap box (I spent almost 20 years in the specialty foods biz):-- Really good quality olive oil like this Sardel should be used more for dipping bread, a drizzle over your vegetables, making a vinaigrette.... applications where you can taste the flavor profile of the oil. Use your less expensive EVOOs for roasting veg or cooking with. Don't waste your money/good EVOO on something where you can't appreciate the flavors.-- It somewhat pains me that good quality EVOOs are available on Amazon. They need to be kept in a temperate condition, and who knows what they're exposed to in Amazon's warehouse. (That being said, you don't really know how they are kept before you buy them off the shelf at your local grocery store either.) Heat is the enemy of oils, as it will potentially alter the flavor profile and cause rancidity to occur faster.-- I was lucky that I was home when my package with this EVOO was delivered. I immediately opened the box and fortunately (even though it's been a HOT summer here) the bottle was not warm at the time.-- It is a stronger flavor profile, peppery + grassy are what I mainly taste. This is not a mild buttery oil so if that's what you like, this may not be for you. But if you're adventurous with your oils, give this Sardel a try!

I use this mainly with balsamic vinegar on salads, but it's also great for dipping bread. You can really taste the fresh, clean flavor of this oil. I've also used it to brush chicken breasts when baking them and it works beautifully. It also made some gorgeous pesto to use on pasta when combined with some fresh parmesan and pine nuts ordered here on Amazon.The bottle is also very pretty and looks great either on the table or on the countertop. It's also an opaque glass, which I really appreciate since it doesn't let light and it's recyclable or reusable.Overall, this is a lovely flavored oil for everything from salads to chicken breasts to pesto and a must-have for any kitchen.

I was really impressed with the pouring cap and nice looking white glass bottle.The oil is immediately astringent, not so much like olives, but the pits.The aftertaste is bitter. This is straight up.On bread it's less harsh, but still lacking rich buttery notes or the green flavor of fresh olive.

The flavor and texture.

A good olive oil, you can just sip it by itself. That's how I personally tell how I will use olive oil, for cooking or for more special use like dip or dressing.I never heard this brand but the organic and Italian origin caught my attention.First impression, i like the simple and white bottle with black lettering, very modern touchthe bottle is easy to open with a pour spout, though i had to really shake the spout for some olive oil to pour out.I pour some into a spoon and tasted it and it was smooth and had this subtle olive taste, but it tasted really nice. I'm going to use this for dressings, dips and for finishing dishes.Given the price i'm going to use this wisely but it's good addition to my kitchen pantry for special occasions.

This olive oil is absolutely lovely! The bottle is so pretty that you'll want to leave it sitting out and the oil itself is a real treat! It has a rich, delicious olive taste that would be perfect for things where you really want the flavor of the oil to shine like in dips and dressings. The bottle was a bit tricky and I couldn't get the oil to come out at first. After messing with it for a while my husband finally got it to work. Not sure what he did, but it wasn't super intuitive. Otherwise fantastic!