Consumers demonstrated a high level of interest in locally produced oil and expected it to score low for bitterness and pungency. Participants were segmented into clusters, having first been asked to declare their liking-drivers, choosing between low- or high-fruity intensity and low- or high-bitter–pungent intensity. Having tasted the oils, consumers were request- ed to provide hedonic scores and to judge oil quality. Those consumers who expressed a preference for olive fruit- iness did not generally score in accordance with its intensity, as assessed by the expert panel. The bitter–pungent attribute appears be a more suitable characteristic for determining consumer preference. These results may prove useful in orienting local production towards the real expectations and preferences of consumers.