Basic Profile

Origin
Casco Bay between Yarmouth and Freeport, Maine, USA; nursery in Maquoit Bay
Species
Crassostrea virginica (Eastern oyster)
Classification
Farmed; single-producer brand
Farming Method
Bottom culture on hard-packed bottom, exposed only at drain-out tides; two to two and a half years
Producer
Eric Horne and Valy Steverlynck
Visual Signature
Thick shell, deep cup, often green-tinged

Eric Horne, who grew up in Freeport, and Valy Steverlynck started Flying Point oyster farm in 2000. They grow in the waters of Casco Bay between Yarmouth and Freeport, with a nursery in Maquoit Bay.12

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), the species grown at Flying Point
Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), the species grown here. Photo: James St. John / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Bottom Culture

Seed moves from the nursery from late May to early July and is planted on hard-packed bottom, fully exposed only at the lowest tides. The oysters take two to two and a half years and are harvested weekly, year-round, with a drag, then culled and packed by hand on the skiff. The growers say it took about ten years of mistakes before the farm worked well.2

Flavor Breakdown

In the growers' words
"Brothy, briny, and buttery."2
Shell
Thick and deep-cupped, often tinged green with algae from the bottom.2

What Makes Flying Point Unique

Flying Point's oysters grow on hard-packed bottom that is uncovered only at the lowest tides, and are hauled weekly by drag, then culled and packed by hand on the skiff.2 The thick, algae-stained shell is the visible trace of two years on the seabed, and the growers admit it took them about ten years of mistakes to get the method right.2

A bottom-grown Casco Bay oyster with a thick shell and a brothy middle. Order it when you want an oyster that tastes like it came off the seabed, because it did.

Should You Add Lemon?

Cautiously

A drop of lemon suits the brine, but taste the broth first.

Pairing Guide

1
Chablis

Chalky and taut against a brothy, buttery oyster.

2
Maine dry cider

Tart apple for a thick-shelled local.

OptimalPlain
AcceptableLemon
AvoidCocktail sauce

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • Fans of bottom-grown, heavy-shelled oysters
  • Visitors to Freeport and Yarmouth
Sources
  1. The Maine Mag. "Catching the Green Wave." themainemag.com
  2. Glidden Point Oyster Farms. "Flying into Spring." gliddenpoint.com
Tasting notes & flavor profile in the Oysterminds app →