Photograph by Mark Fleming
Article By Rowan Jacobsen
 
Eating a Maine oyster is “like kissing the sea on the lips,” says Rowan Jacobsen, oyster expert and author of A Geography of Oysters. And Jacobsen is a big fan of Maine oysters. In order to tap into his briny brain, we gave this on-the-half-shell connoisseur a dozen different kinds, harvested up and down the Maine coast. Here are his tasting notes (numbers correlate to the numbers on the image at right; click on the image to enlarge it):
 
1 Glidden Points
“Glidden Points are the definitive Maine oysters, the standard bearers. Barb Scully has been keeping those standards high for more than twenty years, using sustainable harvesting methods and letting the oysters grow slowly deep in the Damariscotta River, one of the cleanest and coldest estuaries in the country. A slow-grown oyster develops a thick, heavy shell — one of the defining features of Glidden Points. Like most Damariscotta oysters, Glidden Points are always light and clean flavored.”

2 Gay Islands
“Unusual oysters grown in the open ocean south of Cushing Harbor, Gay Islands are a real treat. With no real freshwater influence, Gay Islands have a light, clean North Atlantic flavor that comes from the fully marine environment and the fact that they are grown in floating trays on the surface. They can be intensely briny, like getting buried in the surf while bodysurfing, but they also can be sweet and mouthwatering. They’d be my choice with a Maine ale. Many Maine oysters come from the same broodstock; Gay Islands serve as their own broodstock and are genetically unique — pale tan shells, layered like phyllo.”

3 Dodge Coves
“A Maine institution, Dodge Cove was one of the first oyster farms in Maine and has been going strong for
more than thirty years. Another Damariscotta River oyster, these Dodge Coves have a remarkable sweet-
and-sour-citrus flavor and a restrained brine. The lovely shells are dappled with interesting pastel colors, which show up quite a bit in oysters from down south but are a rarity in Maine.”

4 Wiley Points
“An engaging sweet-and-sour flavor in this bottom-cultured Damariscotta oyster, and surprisingly low salt; the Damariscotta must have been inundated with freshwater this summer. The small size makes them appealing to those intimidated by the burly Glidden Points, Pemaquids, and Wawenauks.”

5 Spinney Creeks
“Spinney Creeks, which hail from their eponymous estuary in Eliot, have a memorable pine-and-copper finish and lovely emerald-tinged shells — which, in my experience, almost always promise a rich-tasting oyster.”

6 Wawenauks
“Another Damariscotta doppelganger for Glidden Points or Pemaquids, full-flavored Wawenauks are big, heavy, and thick-shelled with bright lemon-zest notes.”

7 Flying Points
“Flying Points come in two sizes. I sampled the petites. These are lightweights of the oyster world, with a nice flavor and perfect salinity. This size is just right for oyster novices, though discerning eaters will want to move on to more robust ones.

8 North Havens
“These are big and beautiful, with deep, curving cups and swirling shell patterns of tan, pink, and purple. The meats are big, firm, and toothsome. These are clearly well-cared-for bivalves. On the other hand, they are some of the least briny oysters I’ve ever tasted, on a par with Gulf oysters. Must be all the rain!”

9 Norumbegas
“A newcomer to the Maine oyster scene, although grower Eric Peters is no newbie when it comes to aquaculture. He’s been doing it for many years, and it shows in his Norumbegas, which have the perfect yin shape and deep, smooth cups every oyster grower dreams about. The salinity of Norumbegas is
surprisingly light for a Damariscotta River oyster; the flavor intriguingly tangy. A good choice for those who prefer milder oysters.”

10 Taunton Bays
“Taunton Bay is a tidal basin north of Acadia National Park with a very restricted opening to the sea. It’s also relatively shallow, meaning that at certain sun-baked times the water can warm right up and phytoplankton in the bay can really get cooking. This rich food supply is probably responsible for the yummy, buttery Chardonnay qualities of Taunton Bay oysters, as well as for the thin shells and shallow cups. These oysters are growing a little too fast for their own good, reaching market size (three inches long) before they’ve had a chance to cup up or reinforce their shells. With such full flavor, balanced brine, and unique terroir, Taunton Bays are oysters to watch.”

11 Pemaquids
“I often have trouble telling Pemaquids and Glidden Points apart. They grow cheek-by-jowl in the Damariscotta River, and both tend to have large, strong, dapper, black-and-white shells and crisp, succulent flavor. This time, however, the Pemaquids stood out. The oyster meat was full, firm, and ivory-colored. The classic seashore aroma was tinged with violets.”

12 Winter Points
“A longtime favorite of mine, Winter Points hail from Mill Cove, near Bath. They are always sweet and very salty. In winter they are fatter and more firm, and available only because the growers cut through the ice of Mill Cove to retrieve them from the bottom.”