Many olive oils emphasize the hoarse bitterness of the fruit. Others play on the wispy sweetgrass aspect. Kelseyville’s Loasa Farms olive oil fits somewhere in between.
It’s an inviting oil, a lean budding green color offers the promise of spring. The aromas are sylvan — green olives ripening on the tree, crushed pecan meat, bright fruit and new grass — all wrapped in rich fresh cream.
The oil dabbles on the palate at first. Buttery and mellow, with a sweet macadamia character fluttering over a well tended lawn. This mild temperament spreads, engaging you, allowing you to lull for a moment.
Yet it is an olive oil, and a bitter snap eventually emerges. However, even as this nips around the edges, it cannot compel the creamy body to slink away. The sharp edge calms into a note resembling walnut — nutty and biting, though not assertive.
For those who appreciate a tempered oil, Loasa Farms is perfect. Look for it at local farmers’ markets.
