Basic Profile

Origin
Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland
Species
Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oyster)
Classification
Farmed; single-producer brand
Farming Method
Pacific oysters grown in the waters around Achill
Producer
Achill Oysters (Hugh O'Malley)
Visual Signature
Pacific oyster shell

Hugh O'Malley's family has lived on Achill Island for at least five generations, fishing from currachs and 30-foot half-deckers. In 1996 he heard a BBC Radio 4 documentary, presented by Jeremy Paxman, about pressure from fly fishermen to outlaw drift netting for salmon. It set him thinking about what an island fisherman could do instead.1

Achill Sound, the strait between Achill Island and the Mayo mainland
Achill Sound, the strait between Achill Island and the Mayo mainland. Photo: Joseph Mischyshyn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Cod First, Then Oysters

He enrolled in an aquaculture course run by BIM, Ireland's sea fisheries agency. Cod farming was his first idea, and the course convinced him it would not pay; oysters would. The first stock, 50 grams of seed, arrived in April 2014.1

Flavor Breakdown

The water
Achill faces the open Atlantic with no large river nearby, and the site data we hold shows salinity near full seawater. Brine leads, and firmly.
The finish
Mineral and dry. Our scores put salt and minerality at four and sweetness at two.

What Makes Achill Unique

A fishing family's answer to the end of drift netting, eighteen years in the making between the idea and the first seed.1

A very salty Irish rock oyster. Order it when you want the Atlantic at full strength.

Should You Add Lemon?

No

Salt and mineral finish need no help.

Pairing Guide

1
Dry Irish stout

Roast bitterness against salt.

2
Chablis

Lean and stony.

OptimalPlain
AcceptableShallot vinegar
AvoidCocktail sauce

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • Brine lovers
  • Travelers on the Wild Atlantic Way
Sources
  1. Achill Oysters. "History of Achill Oysters." achilloysters.com
Tasting notes & flavor profile in the Oysterminds app →