Santo Amaro6 Flavor Variety Pack Sampler European Wild Sardines - Virgin Olive Oil - Tomato Sauce from Puree - Virgin Olive Oil & Spicy Red Piri Piri Pepper - Spring Water - Virgin Olive Oil & Lisbon Lemon - Tomato Puree with Spicy Red Piri Piri Pepper (6 Pack, 120g Each) 100% Natural - GMO FREE - Keto - Paleo - Hand Packed in PORTUGAL (6 Pack)

I ordered these the same time I ordered some King Oscar Royal Selection sardines with "peppers, garlic, rosemary and hot chili"; the King Oscars were also a premium price, but the reviews led me to believe they would be worth it.Oscar arrived first. They were something of a disappointment: the fish were so cooked they were mushy, and the taste of peppers was *barely* noticeable; I didn't even realize they had garlic until I looked at the package again and saw it listed. Not did I notice rosemary, and it was more like "Not chili". Even the sardine flavor was meh. I haven't opened the other can (it was a two-pack); maybe I just got a bad can, and others are more like what got rave reviews. To me it was as "spicy" as a typical Midwestern hot dish, which is to say, not at all. I guess that kind of makes sense, since King Oscar is a Norwegian brand and much US Midwestern cuisine and tastes were formed by Nordic and Germanic immigrants who settled there (they weren't afraid of bitter winters, I guess).So later, this 3-pack of Santo Amaro comes. I opened a can right away to check it out. As another reviewer said, there is a lot of olive oil in the can and it's hard to remove the pulltop without getting some all over (I managed to keep it just on my hands, but my fingers were *dripping*). But good news: the oil tastes really good. It's quality olive oil with just a hint of fish and pepper, suitable for saving and using in a salad dressing or a quick saute.Then I dig into the fish itself. As I say in the title, these sardines have integrity: I mean, there are actually recognizable tubes of fish body (minus heads and tails) that haven't been processed into mush. Also, they're kosher, sustainably harvested, non-gmo, etc etc.And they taste great! Not a strong fishy odor (I mean, for sardines, which ordinarily do radiate a bit), just good little fishes with a nice savory tang. Still not flamethrower hot, but that's fine; the pepper shouldn't overwhelm the flavor of the fish, but I did want it to be noticeable, and in Santo Amaro's product, it is. That's the Portuguese origin shining through.I also experienced a few fishy burps after on, as another reviewer complained of. But they weren't bad or long-enduring, and the delight of eating these sardines was well worth a couple of brief "reminders". I suspect it might have been on account of how much of the olive oil I consumed, not strictly due to the fish; high-fat foods can trigger acid reflux, which may be what have both me and the other guy "fishy burps". The solution might be to wipe off as much of the oil as possible before eating, and certainly not to add mayonnaise as he did. There's no need to, these fish are plenty oily and not dry like water-packed fish can be sometimes after you drain off the water.I will say that my burps did not include any burning capsicum, though the fruity flavor of the pepper was present. That is more of a problem when very hot chilis are mixed with high-fat foods (one issue I have with very spicy Mexican food is the combination of lard and peppers, which leads to "flame burps" -- far worse, in my opinion, than the fishy kind).Highly recommend. I changed my subscription to monthly from every 2 months after tasting them.

These are really good sardines. Good sized, not too big, not too small and they have the skin and bones, which are the best parts. DON'T buy sardines that are boneless/skinless or ones packed in water. You WANT sardines with both skin & bones, and packed in extra virgin olive oil. PERIOD. These are full of flavor and meaty, not mushy. Portuguese sardines are some of the best in the world, and I really enjoyed these and look forward to having them again and again. Put them on a piece of sourdough bread with some Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped garlic. Total heaven. Highly recommended to sardine lovers.

So as someone who tries to eat low carb, I know how good sardines are for our bodies, mind, mood, blood sugar etc. I'm a foodie, I like all fish and seafood, but ever the sardine hunt continued because I just didn't like anything I tasted. Luckily my cat loves sardines and they don't go to waste! I only try sardines in olive oil. The other problem is I do not like most olive oils. I read the reviews on these and decided to take a chance. Both myself and my cat love them! The oil is mild and delicious and really let's the flavor of the fish through. These are big fillets, maybe 4ish to a can. Lots of oil. Has all the good stuff - bones, skin, meat and other unidentifiable things :) that make them so nutrient dense and healthy but does not hit you over the head with a strong, fishy smell or taste. There's just enough. It's a perfectly balanced, blended taste of a delicate oil and fish. These for me are it. My search has ended! My next experiment will be to air fry them!

So, I got the 6 pack that has one of each variety. Let me do my best to recall each of the 4 I have tried.:Plain (sardines in natural spring water): I actually tried this first because I always like trying the plain version of anything first to get a baseline to get a pure, unadulterated idea of the quality and taste of the actual underlying product itself. It was just okay. Obviously good but nothing special. Honestly strongly prefer Wild Planet in Water w/ Sea Salt than this. By a lot.Next I tried the plain but in olive oil. This one, actually was pretty good. I might even say I prefer it over the Wild Planet kind I normally consume. Personal bias: I generally avoid anything in olive oil since I was young, this was my first time trying anything in olive oil so perhaps it's actually better than I've realized and just so happens to go really good with fish, particularly sardines, and I was simply ignorant of that my whole life. Not sure.Third: Plain with Tomato Sauce. Literally like the plain but with some cheap tomato paste. It wasn't bad just, again at $5 a can you kind of set your standards somewhat high, you know?Fourth: "in Olive Oil & Red Piri Piri Pepper". Eh. I enjoyed it. Something unique. Nothing I'd really write home about, though. No idea what "Red Piri Piri Pepper" is but if it was supposed to be elegantly flavorful or incredibly spicy, it was neither. At least, it didn't stand out in any notable way. Whether that's due to the Olive Oil, I don't know.(I have not tried the remaining 2: "in Olive Oil & Lemon, Lightly Smoked" or the "in Tomato Sauce & Red Piri Piri Pepper". But obviously the ones I have tried basically capture the essence of them so, I can't imagine I'm missing much.)Long story short, it's just under $5 a can. That's sobering. Much prefer Wild Planet Sardines in Water w/ Sea Salt (~$3/can). Excellent taste. The only variety I've tried that I'd say rivals Wild Planet would be the "plain in olive oil" (not with lemon and not with the pepper)... but hey, if you really like your fish or really like your sardines, maybe my palette is just unsophisticated and you'll really enjoy these. I don't know. Just my review.It's good stuff. You'll probably like it. Just again, if you're a normal person on a budget, unless you REALLY like your sardines... I'd probably focus on more important things. Or get Wild Planet instead. Literally the same price and you get twice the cans and product that IMO taste better.