Netarts Bay Oyster

Netarts Bay is a small bay on the Northern Oregon Coast.  This growing area has a particularly high salinity content because there are no rivers and only one creek, Whiskey Creek, that feeds it.  The bay is rather shallow, which allows for a full tidal flush every few tides.  The abundance of ocean water and quick flush makes for an oyster that grows rather slowly.  The substrate consists of more sand than mud, which is a great environment for oyster shell growth.  Netarts Bay oysters are started from hatchery produced seed, which spend a majority of their life in mesh grow out bags.  Just before harvest, the oysters are transferred to trays on the beach or directly onto the beach to finish the maturation process.  The oysters tend to have an intense initial burst of salt that mellows through the palette, but carries through the finish.  Notes of minerality and slight sweetness can be detected before a melon-like finish.