Beausoleil
Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick 🌎 See Oyster Map
Farmed in floating trays in Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick, in very cold northern waters. Suspended just below the surface, gently jostled by the waves, they never touch the sea floor. Half the year they grow in floating bags near the surface, enjoying as much warmth and food as the Canadian coast has to offer. The other half, they are dropped to the bottom of the bay, just a few meters down, where they ride out the winter. At this time of year, they are harvested by cutting holes in the ice (which can be as thick as five feet) with chainsaws. Such cold conditions explain why a little Beausoleil can be 4-6 years old at harvest.
Beausoleil (19 Ratings)
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Great salinity. Texture is very delicate. There’s not a lot of mouthfeel and richness.
Well worth the wait! These fantastically Clean and Bright Oysters are sure to leave you satisfied. I’m a lover of salty & briny but fell in love with this Bays other Oyster French kiss and they are similar in taste.
An oyster with a light and savoury flavour. Bite sized and a little briney. One of my favorites!
One of our first forays into something other than Bluepoint and Malpeque, we tried these and were amazed at the briny, soft, almost bread-like flavor – delicate but not without depth and character. A bit more sophisticated yet exactly what you want an oyster to be. A bit of a bugger to shuck, though, due to the size.
I have to give these another shot in the future. I think the ones we had were last their prime. Slightly dried out, not great flavor. I’m reviewing with hopes of submitting a future review in a better specimen!
Well, to start they had a deep well, then so clean, so fresh, perfect blend of zinc & salt, so good, wow.
Although, they are slightly smaller than some other species, they are superb in general. The shell is clean and regular in size. The meat is mild with a slightly briny flavor.
Delicious. The ‘popcorn chicken’ of my sea life.
Very good
Great little oyster, but as Rowan stated, a bit small for me personally. Great shell shape and great to meet the people that grow them.
Always clean and crisp, these are understandably one of the most popular oysters in the country. They are too small for me (I prefer the larger French Kisses from the same farms), but just right for many people in my experience. Three stars for flavor and size, but an extra half star for their spectacular shuckability–these always have strong, straight shells–and another half because they are hand-packed, cups down, in cute wooden boxes that are fabricated by Maison Bausoleil from recycled palettes.
While I agree that these are a great oyster to serve a newbie, they are also one of my top 5 favorite oysters, and I’ve tried a lot of oysters. Yes, they are mild on the palate, but they also have a creamy, buttery flavor that may be too subtle for those who prefer the steak sized oysters from the gulf, or the cucumber and seaweed flavor of some of the west coast oysters. I like those too, but Beausoleil oysters will appeal to people with more taste receptors on their tongue who can appreciate all they have to offer in taste. Try them with just a drop or two of fresh lemon juice, and wash down with a good sparkling Brut.
Petite,mild,light meat. very uniform shell and size, pop open with the slightest pressure on the handle of your knife. often serve to my beginners to get them warmed up.
2015 cocktail-sized are our go-to oyster for this season. They are as local as we can get, and we would serve them to anyone.
Great overall oyster, can chose either cocktail size or the larger French Kiss version. briny in taste our home favored choice
these are my favorite
I see I forgot to rate them!
As Rowan alludes, these are a great “starter” oyster for those new to the raw bar. Brine is great, but that is really all there is to them given their small size. Always my choice if we have them on and someone needs to start slowly…
Crisp and briny, a great oyster that really opens up the palate. Very dainty, perfect for when you want to feel classier than you really are.