Empeltre is the elongated black olive of Lower Aragón, the Ebro valley and the Balearic Islands, protected by the Aceite del Bajo Aragón PDO. Picked fully ripe, it gives an unusually sweet, mild oil — banana, ripe apple and almond, with very little bitterness or pepper — sometimes described as almost dessert-like. It is also cured whole as a prized black table olive. A gentle, mellow oil for those who find robust styles too aggressive.
Sweet and mellow: banana, ripe apple and almond, barely any bite.
A late ripener; picked fully ripe and black from December into January. Buy the freshest crop you can find — and check the harvest date on the bottle.