Columela Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 17-Ounce

Always good flavor, more floral/fruity than grassy. Always a worry it will break in shipment with A's incompetent packing.

Been buying Columela for about 15 years. I use it on all sorts of salads and occasionally on pasta. I include it in the gift baskets I make for dear friends and other important people in my life. It is more expensive than the commercial brands we see advertised here in the USA, but, the taste is all you need to give yourself permission. Once you try it, you'll never use another brand.

I discovered this olive oil at my local grocery store, but then they never stocked it again, so I ordered it on Amazon. This is a very light and fruity oil, perfect for drizzling over salads and foods where you want to really taste the oil. A little expensive but worth the flavor profile.

I ordered this on the recommendation of a Cooks Illustrated review of supermarket olive oils before I could find it in a local market. The fragrance and flavor have a slightly peppery but not overpowering kick, and far more depth and interest (to my taste) than most other off-the-shelf olive oils. Works well as a good, basic staple. This one is labeled ORIGINAL, but Columela produces several varieties with different degrees of spiciness and aromatics. (FYI -- I eventually found them at Stop and Shop for same price as Amazon. So, if you don't live in a Stop& Shop area, or can't find them where you live, Amazon will do it!!)

I love this olive oil. It has a mild nutty flavor (really, it does, not just advertising lingo I usually read when buying olive oil), it is well packaged, has a great stopper on the top of the bottle (no drips!), and even my grandkids like it. I use it for salad dressing, baking and frying, bread making...everything. Lastly, I've noted that the oil, once opened, doesn't get that rancid smell or flavor that some oils get....I don't know why I just know it's my observation. I've purchased more expensive oil from specialty houses but I've never been as happy with them as with Columela. I'll definitely buy again as I keep 3 bottles on hand all the time.

I kept reading about this particular olive oil and finally decided to try it, despite the high cost, just to see what all the hoopla was about. It is really very good olive oil so my husband and I have decided that is worth the cost (if it does not go much higher) for dipping. I would never cook with it due to the cost but its peppery flavor is great for a bread dip. I mix it with a little Mrs Dash (garlic and herb).

I am not an olive oil connoisseur and with the knowledge that most olive oils found on our grocery store shelves are not what they claim to be, I did some research on which brands are true olive oils. One site I found mentioned 5 brands including this one that are true olive oils and I found at least 4 of them available on Amazon. I decided on this one more or less by where the olives came from and from reviews then by any real knowledge of the product. The only thing missing (unless I can't find it on the bottle) from the list of criteria of what makes a good olive oil is the born date. The weather was quite cold here when I received the oil and it was solid which is an indicator of a true olive oil. The color is a nice green and I like the flavor. If I found the born date I would have given this product a full 5 stars. If I don't order this one again it is only because curiosity would drive me to try another brand that I found listed on that web site I mentioned before, otherwise, I will say I would order this again without any hesitation.

Not much else to say.