5 Garlic-Infused Olive Oils, Ranked Worst To Best

There are many ingredients of all types that go into making meals that are tasty, healthy, and filling. Some are lead characters, and others play important supporting roles. Among the latter is olive oil. Although there are some olive oil mistakes you need to stop making, this pantry staple is an essential part of Mediterranean cuisine and can be used to cook with, make dressings and sauces, and dip up onto a nice piece of bread. (Olive oil has non-cooking uses as well, but that is an entirely different topic.) Infused oils are even more flavorful, and garlic is one of the best additions. An equally essential staple, garlic pairs well in many of the best ways to use infused olive oil.

You may wonder which brands make the best garlic-infused olive oils. I have tried five different brands and present them ranked from worst to best. This way, you will know which to try. Let's get started. 

We start with Terra Delyssa, an extra virgin olive oil infused with garlic. Although color doesn't matter when it comes to the quality of olive oil, it is part of the sensory experience. This brand has a nice pale gold color that was pleasing to the eye. When swirling it, the oil appeared fairly light and low viscosity. The scent smelled of fresh olive oil, and the garlic was subtle. Clearly there, but not overpowering. The mouthfeel was a little heavier, and the oil coated my tongue. 

At first, the garlic felt absent, but upon swallowing, it came in at the finish and had a nice flavor. Definitely garlic, but not overly so. The aftertaste was distinctly bitter, and, in all honesty, that turned me off this brand. I did enjoy dipping bread into it. The oil nicely soaked into the soft inner crumb and had what I felt was just the right amount of garlic flavor. It still had the acrid aftertaste, although it wasn't as strong as when sampling just the oil. This is not a bad product (although Redditors say it's one of the most overrated olive oils), but the bitterness placed it at the bottom of my list. Using it in a dressing for a salad with sweet vegetables like carrots and bell peppers might help counter the bitter aftertaste.

I only live an hour and a half from Saratoga Olive Oil Company's HQ, so I was pretty excited to try a local product. Unfortunately, this extra virgin garlic-infused olive oil was not without its own downsides. The color is a darkish yellow that I do like, but the oil is heavy. It looked almost like 10W-40 in terms of viscosity. The scent was nice; just enough garlic to let you know it's there without being a vampire repellent. I did not enjoy the mouthfeel much at all. It was heavy and cloying, sticking to my tongue right through swallowing. Granted, people don't generally sip olive oil outside of a taste test, but this was the thickest of the oils.

At first taste, the garlic flavor is light, but gets stronger at the finish. I found the garlic quite tasty, but it packs a strong peppery aftertaste that made me cough. It was so strong I had to wait about five minutes before I could try the next oil, even when rinsing my mouth out with water. It was just okay on the bread. I could say I liked it, but it's not something I'll ever crave. If you were to use Saratoga oil in dressings or marinades, I would say add less than the recipe calls for to avoid the heaviness. I didn't try cooking with any of the oils, but this brand could add to the greasiness of fried or sautéed foods. 

Moving on to the third-ranked garlic-infused olive oil on our list, Soma Grove is one that I really liked. For starters, it's sold in a metal container, which is one of the best types of bottles for olive oil. It's also extra virgin and has a gorgeous golden color. It was not heavy at "oil" and swirled around nicely in the bowl. The scent was very pleasant, with the freshness of the olive oil combined with a light garlic odor. The two blended together quite nicely. The mouthfeel was very enjoyable; nice and light on the tongue. The olive flavor was present, as was just the right amount of garlic. I actually went back for a second sip. It had a slight peppery finish that I really liked. No coughing with this one.  

Soma Grove is very tasty dipped onto bread. The oil coats the inside beautifully, and the flavor is almost like eating garlic bread. I would be very happy to be served this in an Italian restaurant. In fact, I believe Soma Grove could hold its own against the top choices in our list of store-bought olive oils for bread dipping. I also think this brand would be great for dressings, marinades, and sautéing.

We are now reaching the cream of the crop. Benissimo blends canola and extra virgin olive oils, is infused with roasted garlic, and contains rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The pale gold color is speckled with fresh herbs and sets you up for a truly flavorful experience. The scent is a beautiful blend of oil, fresh herbs, and light garlic. It was so enjoyable, I sniffed it more than once. The texture was light, which made for a very pleasant mouthfeel. Not all greasy. The garlic was not overpowering, and it played well with its fellow ingredients.

Paired with the bread, this oil was an extremely enjoyable taste experience. This one had the flavor of a high-end garlic bread made by a chef who knows their stuff. My mouth was left with a freshness after finishing my bite. Benissimo would be terrific as a meat marinade, in a dressing, or for sautéing. This brand is excellent and came very close to topping the list but was just edged out by our final entrant.

DeLallo is technically a dipping and drizzling oil that contains champagne vinegar and sunflower oil. But since it also includes extra virgin olive oil, I feel it fits this list. Not only does it fit, but it wins. In addition to the garlic infusion, this brand incorporates oregano, basil, and Parmesan cheese, which is a brilliant ingredient choice. The pale yellow color is pleasant enough on its own, but the specks of seasoning and bits of cheese take it to another level. The viscosity is light, and the odor is fresh, with garlic playing its role perfectly. I truly enjoyed the mouthfeel. It flowed over my tongue and left no trace of greasiness. 

The tangy Parmesan flavor burst into my mouth with a nice level of saltiness. The garlic came out underneath, blending perfectly. The aftertaste was pleasantly peppery and was a nice way to round out the sip. On bread, what can I say? It was divine. The cheese had a bit of sweetness that played well with the tang, the garlic, and the bread. I could not stop dipping and eating. It was that good. A well-deserved top spot on my list.

Olive oil, especially quality brands, tends to be on the expensive side. So, for this ranking, I also included lower-cost brands to cater to many budgets. Truly appreciating any food item requires more than just your taste buds. I also smelled each oil, checked out how it looked, and noted how it felt in my mouth and on my tongue. Although you cannot judge olive oil by its color, I noted each just to be thorough.

There are several steps to take when tasting olive oil to completely bring out the odor and flavor. A small amount of each was poured into a little bowl, warmed by my hands, and swirled around. This releases more of the scent and flavor. After smelling the oil, I inhaled as I sipped a bit. Next, I breathed out through my nose, carefully noting the flavors before swallowing. I cleansed my palate with water between different brands. An Instagram video posted by Giada De Laurentiis was also helpful in learning how to taste olive oil properly. Since bread is commonly placed on the table at quality restaurants for dipping, I tried dipping a dinner roll into each oil to see how it tasted on another food item.