Basic Profile

Origin
Hammersley Inlet, Shelton, South Puget Sound, Washington, USA
Species
Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oyster)
Classification
Farmed; beach-grown
Farming Method
Spread on a pebble bottom and hand-harvested; 18 to 24 months
Producer
South Sound growers
Visual Signature
Large, deeply fluted Pacific oyster with creamy-white meat

Rowan Jacobsen describes the Hammersley Inlet oyster as big, plump, deeply fluted and, in his word, "unsubtle". He files it with the other South Sound inlets, known for fat and funky oysters, and passes on a server's remark that customers from Montana go crazy for it.1

South Puget Sound from the air: Totten Inlet, Oyster Bay, Little Skookum Inlet and Hammersley Inlet
South Puget Sound from the air: Totten Inlet, Oyster Bay, Little Skookum Inlet and Hammersley Inlet. Photo: Dicklyon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

On the Beach

The oysters are spread on the ground, on a pebble bottom, and harvested by hand. They take 18 to 24 months to reach about 2.75 inches and are sold all year. The wholesaler Pangea rates their brine at one out of five, the lowest on its scale.2 Why these inlets grow oysters so quickly is explained in the Totten Inlet profile.

Flavor Breakdown

Jacobsen
A strong cucumber finish, followed by what he calls a metal chaser.1
Pangea
Low brine and a sweet honeydew finish.2 The two notes agree on what matters: little salt, a lot of fruit and vegetable, and a finish that is anything but shy.

What Makes Hammersley Inlet Unique

Most oysters are praised for delicacy. Jacobsen praises this one for the opposite.1

For people who think oysters taste of nothing. Low salt, full body, a loud finish.

Should You Add Lemon?

Yes

It has no salt to lose and plenty of flavor to stand up to lemon.

Pairing Guide

1
Pinot Gris

Melon in the glass for melon in the shell.

2
Lager

Cold and plain, to rinse a rich oyster.

OptimalLemon
AcceptableMignonette or hot sauce
AvoidNothing sweet

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • People who like big, strong-flavored oysters
  • Skeptics who find oysters bland
Sources
  1. Jacobsen, R. "Hammersley Inlet." The Oyster Guide. oysterguide.com
  2. Pangea Shellfish Company. "Hammersley Inlet Oyster." Oysterology Online. pangeashellfish.com
Tasting notes & flavor profile in the Oysterminds app →