CHARTREUSE - Elixir Liqueur 1605 - 56%
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The Order of the Chartreuse had existed for over 500 years when, in 1605, at a Chartreuse monastery located in Vauvert, a small suburb of Paris, the monks received a precious gift from Duke François Hannibal d'Estrées: an ancient manuscript revealing the recipe for an "Elixir," nicknamed the "Elixir of Long Life." This mysterious manuscript was likely the work of a 16th-century alchemist, possessing deep knowledge of herbs as well as the expertise to assemble, infuse, and macerate 130 carefully selected plants to create an exceptionally balanced and powerful tonic. The complexity of this fascinating recipe meant that only certain extracts had been deciphered and used at Vauvert.
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At the beginning of the 18th century, this rare manuscript was transferred to the Mother House of the Order, the famous Grande Chartreuse, nestled in the mountains near Grenoble. It was there that the Monastery's Apothecary, Brother Jérôme Maubec, managed to unravel the secrets of the manuscript and, in 1737, wrote the practical formula for preparing the Elixir, finalized in 1764. In 1903, the French government nationalized the Chartreuse distillery and the monks were forced to leave. During the 1929 crisis, upon the company's bankruptcy, the monks reclaimed the brand and returned to the distillery built in 1860 at Fourvoirie, near the monastery, thus resuming the authentic production of Chartreuse liqueurs.
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In 1935, a landslide almost completely destroyed Fourvoirie, and production was then transferred to Voiron, where it continues today with ancestral know-how. The rigorous selection, meticulous grinding, and secret blending of herbs, plants, and other medicinal botanicals are carefully carried out within the monastery itself by two devoted monks. Once combined, these precious ingredients are taken to Voiron where they macerate in a superior quality alcohol, then are distilled with artisanal precision. Finally, the Chartreuse ages for several years in immense oak barrels, stored in a unique cellar renowned for housing some of the longest maturations in the world.
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The Elixir Liqueur 1605 was specifically created in 2005 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of this exceptional manuscript, a symbol of a unique historical and spiritual heritage. Discover this rare and powerful liqueur at Clos des Spiritueux, your specialist in exceptional spirits and liquid treasures combining tradition and excellence.
