My account 
Miguel Abad, olive oil technician and person responsible for EVOO at Campillo de Julia, has written this report on the sensory and polyphenol analysis of this year’s EVOO.
Technical information
- Yield: sms. 38,85%
- Laboratory extractability: 0,79
- Industrial extractability: 0,69
- Rancimat stability: 13.98 h. 120°C.
- Polyphenols: 398 ppm ac. Caffeic.
- Industrial yield: 15.25%.
Organoleptic description
This year’s season is unfolding in an atypical way. In line with what has become habitual in recent years, climate change is becoming more noticeable. The accumulation of heat, combined with the lack of rainfall, has meant that lipid synthesis or oil formation in the olives has been very low. In addition to the lack of olive harvest, the weather has meant that the oil yield this year is especially low, with no more than 15% industrial yield when it usually reaches around 17%-18%. At the end of this article we explain how the Industrial Yield is calculated.
Regarding the EVOO produced and its characteristics, we have achieved polyphenols above what would be normal for the Arbequina and Arbosana varieties. This has been possible thanks to efficient water management and the reduction of irrigation during the month of August and early September, known as induced water stress. As a result, we reached a polyphenol level of around 398 ppm of Caffeic Acid.
As for the organoleptic characteristics, it is classified as fruity-green-sweet. Its aroma is reminiscent of green olives, with the presence of aromas of ripe fruit, such as banana, ripe tomato and apple. In the palate it is slightly sweet with hints of spiciness and slight bitterness, clear proof of the presence of phenols in our EVOO. The aftertaste is also recalling tender almonds and fresh grass.
These characteristics make it particularly suitable for desserts, sauces, salads, white meats, roasted or steamed fish, as well as for all kinds of vegetable dishes.
What does industrial yield mean?
This is the yield of fat that we are going to obtain for each kilogram of olive after it has passed through the oil mill.
When sending an olive sample to the laboratory to find out how much oil it contains and the state of oil formation inside the olive, we ask for the following results:
1) The fat yield on dry matter, which is the indicator of lipogenesis without taking into account the moisture content of the olive.
2) Fat yield on humid matter, which is the total fat content of the olive that we are going to deliver to the mill for processing, and
3) Extractability and Industrial Yield, which is an estimate of how much oil the mill will be able to extract. This number is usually between 2.5 and 3.5 percentage points lower than the wet fat yield.
Example: if the laboratory has given a 19% of total fat on humid, it has to be subtracted between 2.5 and 3.5, since the machines of the oil mill are not capable of extracting it by centrifugation or pressure.
The residue that is generated in the oil mill after extracting our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is known as “alperujo”. The pomace industry collects this product and by means of an extraction with heat, a further extraction with solvents and rectification in a refinery, produces Refined Pomace Oil. This by-product, mixed with a little Virgin Olive Oil, is sold in supermarkets under the name of Olive Pomace Oil.
