I bought this bottle of Star Special Reserve Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil at all places, Wal-Mart. When I purchased it, I was looking for a pure, non-blended, first cold press Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It has a maximum acidity of 0.5%, which is good.
The label on the bottle stated that it is 100% organic Olive Oil from Italy and packed in Italy. It was Certified Organic by Suolo E Salute. This bottle also has an USDA Organic seal on the front.
I think the price was approximately 10 bucks or so. I had never tried any of the Star “Special Reserve” brand of Olive Oil so I didn’t know what to expect when I opened the bottle.
It also came with a “use by” date on the bottle. For those of you not familiar with Olive Oil, your Oil should have a use by date on the bottle somewhere.
One thing that really caught my eye was the color. A rich olive color that really stood out from the other Olive Oils on the shelf (which all except Star were blending).
When I got the bottle home, I opened to smell it. This bottle of Star Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil had a rich, nutty aroma. No over powering like some I’ve reviewed, but a pleasant and pleasing aroma.
Next was the taste. The taste of this Olive Oil has a pleasing rich but elegant taste. I loved the rich flavor it had without being too strong.
That night, I prepared one of my favorite stir fry recipes using this oil. It didn’t cover up or over power the vegetables or meat, but it gave the recipe a nice change up. I can easily say that it really added to the flavor the meal.
To say I was blown away by this brand is an understatement. I wasn’t expecting a brand at Wal-Mart to be this great. If I was being honest, I bought this bottle of Olive Oil because I was curious. I had never saw this brand on the shelf and I can’t remember the last time I bought a bottle of EVOO from Wal-Mart!
This bottle of Star “Special Reserve” Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil isn’t the best Olive Oil I have ever used, but it is a lot better than many brands I’ve paid two and three times as much for. It has definitely earned a spot in my Pantry, especially for the price.