Wet Smack
Crassostrea virginica
A petite Casco Bay oyster from Recompense Cove in Freeport, Maine, tumbled by wind and waves in floating bags. Fat, firm meat that is salty and sweet with a crisp finish.
At a Glance
Wet Smack is an Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from the US East Coast. It is notably briny (4/5 brininess) and moderately sweet (3/5 sweetness), with briny, sweet, crisp flavors and a finish that is crisp.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Crisp
Expert Notes
Wet Smack is the petite oyster from Maine Ocean Farms, grown in Recompense Cove in Freeport, on Casco Bay. The farm uses floating bags and bottom cages, and its site is open enough to wind and waves that the oysters tumble on their own, which keeps the shells clean and deepens the cup. They are sold small for a Maine oyster, between 2 and 2.75 inches, and the farm describes them as fat and firm, with every shell full. Its tasting note is salty and sweet with a crisp finish, and SoPo Seafood in Portland repeats it. Wet Smacks were named Oyster of the Year at the Maine Oyster Festival in 2022. The name comes from the sailing vessels with flooded holds that carried live lobster from Maine to Boston and New York in the 1830s. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea virginica
- Native to
- USA
- Grown in
- Recompense Cove, Freeport, Maine
- Size
- Small (2-2.75 inches)
- Shell Color
- Gray-white to tan
- Meat Color
- Ivory to light gray
Where to Try It
Portland, Maine
- Eventide Oyster Co. Middle Street
On these menus when we checked on October 1, 2026. Raw-bar lists change daily.
What Tasters Say
Across 3 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: fat and firm, chock full
"Salty and sweet with a crisp finish"
brinysweetcrisp
"Wet Smacks are fat, firm and every shell is chock full."
plumpfirm
"You can expect a salty and sweet flavor with a pleasing crisp finish with these oysters."
brinysweetcrisp
"Every flavor you want in an oyster and balanced perfectly. Salty, sweet, briny."
brinysweetbalanced
About the Farm
Maine Ocean Farms
Maine Ocean Farms is based in Freeport. Its site lists three founding partners, Willy Leathers, Eric Oransky and Tom Klodenski, and says the farm aims for quality over quantity on a site with strong tidal flushing and little boat traffic.
- Cultivation Method
- floating bags and bottom cages
History & Background
SoPo Seafood places the farm in the cool, clean water of Recompense Cove in Freeport. The farm says the relatively exposed site tumbles the oysters naturally, keeping the shells clean and producing a deeper cup and plumper meat.
Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland lists Wet Smack among its Maine oysters. The farm's larger oyster, sold as Bigelow Bight at 2.75 to 4 inches, won the same festival award in 2023.
Did You Know?
- Oyster of the Year at the Maine Oyster Festival, 2022
- Sold at 2 to 2.75 inches, small for a Maine oyster
- Named for the wet smacks that carried live lobster to Boston and New York in the 1830s
- The farm also runs tours
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 3 sources.
- Maine Ocean Farms Oysters — Maine Ocean Farms
- About — Maine Ocean Farms
- Wet Smack Maine Oysters (Freeport, ME) — SoPo Seafood
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Learn More
The Big Five: A Complete Guide to Commercial Oyster Species
Comprehensive guide to C. virginica (Atlantic), C. gigas (Pacific), C. sikamea (Kumamoto), O. lurida (Olympia), and O. edulis (European Flat)
Read article → Biology & SpeciesThe Atlantic Oyster (C. virginica): From Maritime Brine to Gulf Sweetness
Deep dive into America's indigenous East Coast oyster - flavor profiles, regional variations, and famous varieties
Read article → Merroir & EnvironmentWhat Is Merroir? How Water Shapes Oyster Flavor
Merroir is the marine version of terroir: how salinity, temperature, tides, and plankton in the growing water shape an oyster's flavor. The science, plus how to taste it.
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