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Brightland olive oils review: What we thought of this Instagram favorite

Yes, even olive oil can make a wonderful gift.

I always grew up with quality, specially grown olive oil for dipping bread before dinner (my family is Italian, it’s in our blood). And, after discovering Brightland — thanks, Instagram — I knew I could have the cutest, most unique collection of oils delivered right to my door.

If you’re a self-proclaimed foodie, a cooking enthusiast or simply into unique and sustainable brands, Brightland is the next wave you need to ride.

In short, the brand goes above and beyond to showcase how pretty packaging and unique flavor combinations make cooking (and gifting) even more special.

What is Brightland?

To give you a baseline answer, it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing olive oil companies. So much so, you’ll want to display its variety of flavorful bottles on your kitchen counter.

It’s liquid, yellow gold — but not only that. Today, Brightland launched its brand-new line of raw, unfiltered honey — The Couplet — an initiative “working with apiaries that maintain natural pollen grains and prioritize the health of hives and honeybee populations,” per the company.

@wearebrightland via Instagram.

Focusing on “abundant nourishment,” founder Aishwarya Iyer hoped to create a direct-to-consumer olive oil brand in 2018 centered on “better, more honest food production.” After frequenting hundreds of NYC restaurants for a decade (thanks to her handy-dandy spreadsheet keeping track of them all), she finally decided to spend more time in the kitchen.

But there was a caveat — and it was within the cooking process.

Both my partner and I kept getting stomachaches,” Iyer told The Post. “We thought it was caused by bread, gluten or cheese — but it was the olive oil we were using.”

Of course, not all olive oil is bad for you. In fact, it’s considered “an excellent model of healthy eating.” But Iyer wanted to learn more about the industry, and this eventually led to the making of Brightland.

The making of Brightland

It all started with a motivation for cooking and a growing curiosity all about olives.

“When I moved to California, I started visiting small family farms creating beautiful olive oil, and these farmers were saying they couldn’t find anyone to buy it — it’s more expensive, costs more to make and it’s labor-intensive,” Iyer explained. “I was so floored, and that was the original inspiration for Brightland. I knew there was a way to celebrate these small farms and the authentic, high-quality, fresh-tasting olive oil they’re creating by marrying a beautiful design.”

To this day, Brightland works hand in hand with California farmers, encouraging others to rethink the olive oils they’re using.

“Brightland works directly with small California farmers for both olive oils and vinegars … All of the olives are handpicked and hand-harvested.

Aishwarya Iyer

What’s more, the handpicked heirloom olives characteristic of the pretty bottled oils are harvested early — and milled within 90 minutes — to evoke a “more robust flavor profile,” per Iyer. That said, you’re not getting additives or unbeknownst fillers.

And, because of the olives being harvested in the greener grass year, they contain more polyphenols, making them healthier for you at the time of harvest, Iyer notes.

The olives are annually harvested in late October or early November and then placed in temperature-controlled containers to protect their integrity. No additives, no fillers — just a natural production process.

The beautiful packaging

We would be doing Brightland a disservice if we didn’t mention the absolutely breathtaking packaging,

“Our bottles are glass and have a UV-protective coating to protect the integrity of the oil as much as possible,” Iyer said.” Olive oils’ biggest enemies are light, heat and air, so you want to do whatever you can to protect the air from those three things.”

Aside from their practicality, the labels on each bottle are symbolic of Californian-grown agriculture, taking inspiration from “tomatoes, blueberries, purple cauliflower and squash blossoms,” Iyer adds.

Our review of Brightland

Brightland olive oils
Victoria Giardina

Because this brand looked heavenly (and, its sets are one of the best gift ideas), we had to see if the much-clamored-about olive oils are worth all the hype. I tried The Essential Capsule, a four-pack consisting of Brightland’s Duo — Awake and Alive oils — and The Pair — Rapture and Parasol vinegar bottles.

Yes, Brightland offers authentic vinegar, too.

Brightland The Essential Capsule, $112 (originally $118)

Brightland The Essential Capsule

I also tested the Ardor oil for a spicy kick to my food palette. What’s great about Brightland is its curated list of recipes to integrate the oils, so I followed a looks-delicious meal and splashed some Ardor to see if that kick was alive and tasty.

Brightland Ardor Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $40

Brightland Ardor Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Brightland’s Ardor Chili-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is a 100% blend of red chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, chipotle peppers, paprika and heirloom Frantoio olives. Its tasting notes include “smokey, bold, fiery and layered.”


The Pros

Brightland olive oils
Victoria Giardina

We can rave about Brightland’s beautiful bottles all day long. But, aside from that, the quality and taste of the oils are divine. Not everyone has a palette for more bitter oils and what’s great about Brightland is its natural taste; it’s pretty difficult not to like it.

I used the Awake oil to dip some fresh Italian bread into as a pre-dinner serving and it was *chef’s kiss* perfect for that. While I enjoy the versatility of the Alive oil better, the more bitter Awake oil is great to season with some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano, pepper and other seasonings to craft a homemade blend.

If you’re more into Brightland for cooking, it’s not only great — it’s exceptional. I didn’t realize how overdue I was to switch out my generic olive oil and replace it with this decadently rich blend for my homemade meals.

Brightland review
Victoria Giardina’s Sheet-Pan Gnocchi using the Brightland Alive oil.

With four tablespoons of the Alive oil, I made a roasted sheet-pan gnocchi dish with fresh cherry tomatoes and red onions. While tossing all the ingredients in a large bowl before placing them on my baking tray, you could smell the freshness and vivacity of the oil, with Brightland beautifully coating the other ingredients for a dreamy Italian dinner.

Brightland review
Victoria Giardina’s Sheet-Pan Gnocchi using the Brightland Alive oil.

I drizzled some more of the Alive oil on top of the gnocchi and tomatoes once it was plated for extra flavor. Because let’s face it — I was hooked.

I used the oils as a salad dressing to see if Brightland could replace my go-to greens topping. Personally, the Rapture Raw Balsamic Vinegar was my favorite because I adore anything and everything covered in that rich glaze.

Brightland review
Victoria Giardina’s grilled chicken salad using the Brightland Rapture Raw Balsamic Vinegar.

It was light but flavorful. You can certainly add more if you wish but I felt the average drizzle did the trick. And, I felt good swapping my salad dressing (even though it’s “lite”) with a healthier, more natural option.

Victoria Giardina’s Smokey Scrambled Eggs using the Brightland Ardor Chili-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.

When I used the Ardor Chili-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to make scrambled eggs, I immediately smelled the smoky flavor sizzling in the pan. When plated on my English muffin, it was undoubtedly the most flavorful scrambled eggs I’ve ever tasted.

With a subtle kick, it’s perfect for those who enjoy a bit of spice. But, for people who swear by everything chili-infused, it’s buildable to cater to bolder taste buds.

The Cons

Brightland testing
Victoria Giardina

With the Alive and Awake oils, I noticed the content tends to drip down the bottle sometimes after pouring. However, it’s not a major dealbreaker. Besides this minor criticism, the only aspect of Brightland that’s somewhat a con is its price.

But, you’re investing in quality extra-virgin olive oil, which is a game-changer if you cook often.

The bottom line

Brightland review

Don’t just buy Brightland for the sleek and stunning packaging (though a bonus, for sure)! Buy Brightland for the rich quality, dynamic flavor blends and giftable nature of the brand as a whole.

“We want to spotlight and highlight the fact that olive oil is, in some ways, like wine,” Iyer concludes. “There are hundreds of varietals of olives and your oils can end up tasting differently based on regionality, province, when they were made, how they were made and what olives were used — and that hasn’t been a part of the conversation at all.”

It’s truly one of our favorites and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.


Check out New York Post Shopping for more content. These products were sent by Brightland for potential coverage for our readers.