Bottle photo
In our shopMediumEarly harvestHarvest 2025

Oro Bailén Hojiblanca

Expert rating
4.6Rated 4.6 out of 5
Provisional panel score · full blind tasting in the 2025/26 round
Reader rating
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Hojiblanca is Andalusia's second olive after Picual and usually ends up in blends. On its own, from an early harvest, it is one of the most aromatic oils in Spain: sweet apple and green banana up front, then artichoke, tomato, fennel and a cool mint note, with a bitterness that is present but polite and a peppery finish. Oro Bailén's is the reference version.

Where to buy · olijfoliemarkt.nl 500 ml · €19.90 at our shop

Tasting notes

Fruityapple, green banana, artichoke, fennel
Bittermoderate, well placed
Pungentpeppery, medium

Sweet apple and green banana on the nose, followed by artichoke, tomato, fennel and peppermint. Rounder on the palate than the Picual, with a slight bitterness and a clean, peppery finish. The most herbal of the four Oro Bailén monovarietals.

The facts

Cultivar100% Hojiblanca
HarvestOctober 2025, early
Polyphenols473 mg/kg (producer lab report, 2025/26)
Free acidity0.10%
ExtractionCold, within hours of picking
EstateLos Juncales & La Casa del Agua, Villanueva de la Reina

Awards

Gold · NYIOOC 2026Gold · Los Angeles IEVOOC 2026Gold · NYIOOC 2025Silver · NYIOOC 2024

Where it's from

Region map · Jaén

Hojiblanca — "white leaf", for the pale underside of its leaves — is native to the Córdoba–Málaga border but grows across Andalusia. Oro Bailén's block sits in the Sierra Morena foothills above Villanueva de la Reina.

About Andalusia →

Pairs well with

Grilled fishRoasted vegetablesGreen saladsGrilled breadPasta

Reviews

1 expert
Tasting panel · bestoliveoils.eu Panel note · September 2026
Panel pick Rated 4.6 out of 5

If the Picual is the estate's statement oil and the Arbequina the gentle one, the Hojiblanca is the one we would put on the table every day. Aromatic and green without being aggressive, enough bitterness to feel serious, and a pepper that lands softly. Excellent on grilled fish and on anything with fennel or artichoke.

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