I picked up these Pollastrini Vintage 2023 Spicy Sardines in Olive Oil on a bit of a whim. The concept of improving sardines by aging is not unknown to me, but I rarely see any available from the usual sources. I decided to see if there was anything to it, or was it just hype.
"Millesimate" is an Italian term roughly meaning vintage. But applied to sardines, it means those caught between September and December, when the fish are at their meatiest. They are canned and then "aged" for 6 months before release to market. During this aging period, natural enzymes in the fish are said to be responsible for improving the flavor and aroma.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.7/5.
They look nice, but don't really have an appearance I can attribute to aging. The oil is clear, no indication of pepper infusion. A sip of the oil has maybe a hint of pepper. Hard to say.
There are seven in the can. They still have some fins. And tails. Unusual for pilchards, but perhaps not for those from Italian canneries. A bite of just fish reveals they are firm and meaty, not dry at all. A few scales here and there. Pulling them from the can, I find no pepper. Odd.
Let's Try Them
I was hoping, after getting them all out of the can and over some rice, the pepper flavor might become more apparent, but no.
Continuing on, I find the taste pleasant, even if not all that spicy. I'm still wondering if a can of their regular vintage sardines was somehow mis-packaged.
Setting aside the lack of heat, and concentrating on just the fish, I assume the mellowness of the fish flavor to be the result of the aging. On the other hand, these were, by the packaging and codes on the tin, canned in 2023. Not really all that long ago. I'd be willing to bet there's a lot of "non-vintage" product on store shelves currently that was canned more than a year ago, in 2024.
Overall, a little disappointing the $10 investment didn't result in any kind of epiphany. Perhaps an opportunity to try some other vintage selections in the future will provide the revelation I didn't get here. Reviews I've seen of previous Pollastrini vintages show the presence of peppers and oil tinged red as a result. I'm not sure what happened with these.
Main Takeaways
- Good quality, flavorful fish
- The "spicy" is MIA
- Perhaps my palate is not yet discerning enough to fully appreciate vintage sardines
I actually have a can of the regular, non-vintage version of these I'll be trying straightaway. Perhaps the immediate, back-to-back comparison will provide some insights.
Brand: Pollastrini
Description: Vintage 2023 spicy sardines in olive oil
Species: Clupea pilchardus (Sardina pilchardus)
Country of Origin: Italy
Source: FAO37, Mediterranean Sea
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $9-10