nonesuch oysters

This was a "have to do" while in Maine for us, and we were not disappointed. Abigail, owner of Nonesuch Oysters was so willing to share her extensive knowledge during her tour. She explains that an oyster gets its taste from the environment in which it is grown, much like a fine wine. Her dedication to the oyster farming business is admirable, as she is passionate about letting nature provide the sweetest, most tender oyster you have ever tasted. We didn't realize how much work went into growing the perfect oyster - lucky for us, we were able to enjoy a product of the time and patience it takes to provide this superior product. The whole experience of being out in a boat, in the fresh air, eating freshly shucked oysters, with people who enjoy what they're doing, was a pleasure. Would we do it again?-- You bet!!

On our first trip to Maine, my wife and i took the Nonesuch Oyster tour in Scarborough Maine. Great tour and even better oysters. Abigail is a fantastic and energetic young woman. I will make it a point to return to this area and take the tour again. Highly recommended. Wish i could rate this higher - better than excellent.

Wow! That'd be my review if I had just one word to sum up our experience with the Nonesuch Oyster company. My wife and I visited Maine specifically to tour an aqua farm and experience the taste of Maine oysters just plucked from the waters in which their grown. Our captain and guide, Abigail Carroll, owner and a pioneer in the oyster farming industry, was so passionate and knowledgable of the oyster farming process. There are so many great things to say about the tour, but what I'll remember most was the feeling of being a part of the whole experience. We started by touring the nursery where infant oysters known as spat grow in upwellers (aquatic crates). We got off the boat and Abigail actually scooped up a net full of spat for us to inspect and touch! Next we boated through the estuary, where the oysters will grow to maturity. An estuary is one of the most prolifically vibrant ecosystems in the world. It's in a nature preserve surrounded by pristine waterways and marsh. It is home to not only the Nonesuch oyster, but to interesting creatures like otters, and endangered and protected wildlife like the piping plover and the shortnose sturgeon. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! The oysters grow in bags close to the unspoiled shoreline, either floating on the surface of the river or on the bottom. An oyster's taste, much like wine, is highly influenced by the environment in which it's grown. Thus, Abigail's oyster tasted sweet and succulent, with a refreshingly salty, mineral finish. Eating them right out of the river may have spoiled me for the rest of my life. Which is a good thing!

If you love oysters then you absolutely have to do this. First of all, owner/host Abigail is such a cool, interesting person to have the pleasure of meeting — and then there are her oysters... WOW. It all starts with an introduction to the baby oysters in their "nursery" on the docks. Then it's onto Abigail's boat and out to the oyster beds for a tour and tasting. Eating oysters just plucked from the water and shucked by oyster-maven Abigail will go down in our vacation history as one of the coolest things we've ever done (plus if you want to try your hand at shucking the gear and instruction is provided and we did it with great success). Also on our trip we met this super nice couple from MA. She surprised him with the oyster tour for his birthday and he so thoughtfully brought beer for his surprise adventure which he so generously shared — note to self, bring your favorite oyster-friendly beverage when you go :) Beautiful people, beautiful bivalves and we hope to be back again soon!

We had a great experience learning about oysters- even seeing 8wk old baby oysters. We have a new appreciation for oysters and those who help them grow! A wonderful trip for a summer afternoon in Maine. You think the tour can't get better until a table is unfolded and you sample straight from the water. So much fun!

Nonesuch oysters was wonderful. Not only was Abigail (the owner) charming and warm, but her and her team were informative and fun. The trip consists of going out to where the baby oysters are raised in the nursery, and then going out via boat further onto the river to see where they grow to their full size. From there, you pluck some oysters out of the water and eat them right on the boat! Not only were the oysters delicious, but we got to learn how to shuck oysters as well! The tour was educational, interesting, and really unique. This was a great way to spend a morning in Maine and I'm so glad we got a chance to experience it!

Nonesuch Oysters has just started doing tours of their oyster farms and we were so happy they did! Located in Scarborough, this tour was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to the Portland area. Abigail, the owner of the farm, and her intimate crew take you out on their cute motorboat for about a 90 minute tour. The tour starts with them showing you the oyster nursery, where the seedlings grow in their first stage of life. They then take you out on the boat up the Scarborough River to where the oysters grow to full size. Once there, they show you how they nurture them, and then pluck a few dozen out of the river to eat fresh out of the water! While they offered to shuck all of them for us, our group was really into learning how to shuck them ourselves, which they gladly and patiently taught us how to do. Eating oysters fresh out of the river on a boat watching the birds fly around us was a really unique experience, and far beyond what we had imagined. The best part was that Abigail really took the time to tell us about how the farm came to be, and described for us the daily tasks and struggles of keeping up an oyster farm. That really helped give us context for what we were seeing, and made us appreciate the oysters as we were eating them. Highly recommend doing this tour - you won't be disappointed!