Sensory attributes of virgin olive oil (VOO) have always been a concern for all involved, from growers and producers to traders and consumers. The olive oil industry used to rely on the opinion of individual olive oil experts for the sensory evaluation of olive oils many years before the appearance of the International Olive Council (IOC or COI) method, known as the “panel test”. In this method, the individual has been replaced by a team of 8‐12 tasters guided by a panel leader. Today, the IOC panel test is the only official practice for the sensory evaluation of olive oil. Fruity, bitter, and pungent are the three basic positive attributes that the panel test method takes into account. Such a simplified approach is inevitable in an effort to have a robust method with repeatable results from panels all over the world. Positive attributes of olive oil add sensorial superiority and health properties to it.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119135340.ch33