CHARTREUSE - 9th Centenary Liqueur - 47%
The Order of the Chartreuse has existed for over 500 years since, in 1605, in a Chartreuse monastery in Vauvert, a charming suburb of Paris, the monks received a precious gift from Duke François Hannibal d'Estrées: an ancient manuscript of an "Elixir" nicknamed "Elixir of Long Life." This rare manuscript is probably the work of a 16th-century alchemist, possessing deep knowledge of medicinal herbs and the skills to assemble, infuse, and macerate no less than 130 plants to create a perfectly balanced tonic. The complex and mysterious recipe was partially understood and used in Vauvert. Then, at the beginning of the 18th century, the precious manuscript was transferred to the Order's Mother House, La Grande Chartreuse, nestled in the mountains near Grenoble. The monastery's apothecary, Brother Jérôme Maubec, finally managed to unlock the secret and wrote in 1737 the complete preparation formula of the Elixir, finalized in 1764. In 1903, the Chartreuse distillery was nationalized by the French government, leading to the expulsion of the monks. However, during the 1929 bankruptcy, the monks recovered the Chartreuse brand, returned to their historic distillery, built in 1860 at Fourvoirie near the Monastery, and restored the authentic production of the true Chartreuse liqueurs. In 1935, after a landslide that almost destroyed Fourvoirie, production was transferred to Voiron, where it continues with excellence to this day.
The rigorous selection, meticulous grinding, and precise blending of the secret herbs, aromatic plants, and medicinal plants used in the making of the liqueurs are carried out by two monks directly within the monastery. Once the assembly is complete, the ingredients are transported to Voiron where they are first macerated in a carefully selected superior quality alcohol, then distilled with unmatched expertise. These precise liqueurs then age for several years in immense oak barrels before being stored in the oldest and deepest aging cellar in the world, ensuring optimal maturation and exceptional taste.
The 9th Centenary Liqueur was created in 1984 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the Chartreuse Monks and commemorate the historic foundation of the Grande Chartreuse Monastery in 1084, a rich symbolism highlighting the unique heritage and ancestral tradition of monastic spirits.
