CHARTREUSE - VEP Green VEP - 1 Litre Bottle - 54%
\n
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 of an "Elixir" nicknamed the "Elixir of Long Life." This esoteric document was likely the work of a 16th-century alchemist, an expert in herbalism and master in the subtle art of assembling, infusing, and macerating more than 130 plants to create a tonic with unique virtues, perfectly balanced and renowned for its exceptional benefits.
\n
The extreme complexity of this recipe meant that only fragments were initially understood and used at Vauvert. At the beginning of the 18th century, the precious manuscript was sent to the Order's Mother House, the Grande Chartreuse, nestled in the mountains near Grenoble. It was there that the Monastery's Apothecary, Brother Jérôme Maubec, managed to unlock the secret and formulate in 1737 the practical version of the Elixir, whose production officially began in 1764.
\n
In 1903, the Chartreuse distillery was nationalized by the French government, leading to the expulsion of the monks. Following bankruptcy in 1929, they recovered the Chartreuse brand and resumed their activity in a new distillery built in 1860 at Fourvoirie, near the Monastery. Unfortunately, in 1935, a landslide almost completely destroyed Fourvoirie, forcing the transfer of production to Voiron, where it continues with passion and expertise to this day.
\n
The secret of Chartreuse lies in the rigorous selection, grinding, and meticulous blending of secret herbs, medicinal plants, and other carefully chosen natural ingredients. These operations are carried out within the monastery itself by two devoted monks. After this first step, the plants are sent to Voiron, where they macerate in an exceptional alcohol, carefully selected, before being distilled. The resulting liqueur is then aged for several years in huge oak barrels, in the most renowned aging cellar in the world for the exceptional length of its maturations.
\n
An exclusive selection of this liqueur is then reserved for a special treatment. This portion undergoes additional prolonged aging and, when the master distiller deems it ready, it is bottled under the prestigious name of V.E.P. Chartreuse ("Exceptionally Prolonged Aging"). Each V.E.P. bottle, whose design is a faithful reproduction of the model used in 1840, is individually numbered, sealed with wax, and presented in an elegant wooden box, custom-made to preserve its unique character.
\n
Delivered without wooden box
