Beausoleil oyster illustration
Beginner Friendly Canada East Coast Researched

Beausoleil

Crassostrea virginica

The perfect starter oyster from New Brunswick's Miramichi Bay. Small, refined, and elegantly mild with yeasty notes, subtle hazelnut sweetness, and a creamy texture. Farmed in floating trays that ensure pristine, uniform shells.

Brininess
Size Small
Shell deep cupped

Flavor Profile

Brininess 2/5
Sweetness 3/5
Minerality 2/5
Creaminess 4/5

Primary Flavors

Finish

Clean, bright, refined with subtle slate notes

Expert Notes

Beausoleil oysters are the quintessential starter oyster, offering a refined and approachable experience. Farmed in floating trays in the ice-cold waters of Miramichi Bay, these petite oysters develop a distinctive yeasty, warm-bread aroma reminiscent of good Champagne, complemented by hints of hazelnut. Their creamy, buttery texture and light-bodied meat deliver gentle brine with subtle sweetness, making them accessible to novices while sophisticated enough to satisfy connoisseurs who appreciate delicate complexity.

Origin & Characteristics

Species
Crassostrea virginica
Native to
USA
Grown in
Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
Size
Small (2.5-3 inches)
Shell Color
White with black crescent
Meat Color
Light cream

Perfect Pairings

Best Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring

What Experts Say

Across 9 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:

Unique notes: warm-bread aroma, champagne-like, cucumber, celery, green melon, seafood-umami

"The flavor is refined and light, like a Caraquet, but with a bit more brine, and something of the yeasty warm-bread aroma you get with good Champagne. This makes them the perfect starter oyster."

refinedlightbrinyyeastywarm-bread

"BeauSoleil oysters offer both salty and sweet tastes with hints of hazelnut, while offering a full and firm flesh."

saltysweethazelnutfullfirm

"BeauSoleils had moderate salinity, a springy texture, and a delicious seafood-umami quality that ended with a moderately long finish."

moderate salinityspringyseafood-umamimoderately long finish

"The experience is delicate, offering a balanced medium brine that evolves into a distinct yeast-like sweetness. Think a sip of Champagne or the aroma of warm, freshly baked bread. You won't find any overwhelming ocean funk here, just a crisp, clean finish that invites another taste."

delicatemedium brineyeast-like sweetnesschampagnewarm bread

"Exquisite flavor with a bright clean mild brine complimented with slight notes of cucumber, celery & green melon."

brightcleanmild brinecucumbercelery

"Plump and light with a slaty finish"

plumplightslaty finish

"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."

brinysoftbread-likedelicatedepth

"While the Beau Soleil (or Beausoleil) oyster never touch the sea floor, their taste is quite 'earthy' to me. They have immaculate shells that are tough and bright. They have a distinctive, almost pungent flavor."

earthydistinctivepungent

About the Farm

Maison BeauSoleil

Developed by the owners of Maison BeauSoleil, the oysters are cultured in floating bags mounted a few centimeters below water surface along the rich and cold North Atlantic waters.

Cultivation Method
floating bags
Visit Farm Website →

History & Background

The name 'Beau Soleil' is French for 'beautiful sun,' reflecting their origin in the sun-drenched surface waters of Miramichi Bay. These oysters can take 4-6 years to reach cocktail size due to the extremely cold northern waters.

Widely considered the perfect starter oyster in North America, Beausoleils have become a staple in raw bars and are frequently recommended for novice oyster eaters.

Did You Know?

  • Harvested by cutting holes in ice up to five feet thick with chainsaws during winter months
  • Suspended just below the surface in floating trays, they never touch the sea floor
  • Their shells are so uniform they almost look stamped out by machine
  • Half the year they grow near the surface, the other half they are dropped deeper to ride out the winter

Sources & References

This information was compiled from 9 sources.

  1. Beausoleil - New Brunswick - The Oyster Guide — oysterguide.com
  2. Beausoleil Oyster Reviews — oysterater.com
  3. BeauSoleil Oysters — atlanticaquafarms.com
  4. A Closer Look at Beausoleil & Belle du Jour Oysters — inahalfshell.com
  5. A Guide to Isla's Raw Bar: Flavor Profiles & Origin — islasonthesquare.com
  6. Beausoleil Oysters — eurousa.com
  7. Beausoleil Oyster - Chefs Resources — chefs-resources.com
  8. A technique in harmony with nature — maisonbeausoleil.ca
  9. Oyster Tasting Log — peekandeat.blogspot.com