CHARTREUSE - Elixir Liqueur 1605 - Jeroboam Format - 56%
The Order of the Chartreuse had existed for over 500 years when, in 1605, at a Chartreuse monastery in Vauvert, a small suburb of Paris, the monks received a precious gift from Duke François Hannibal d'Estrées: an ancient manuscript describing an "Elixir" nicknamed the "Elixir of Long Life." This mysterious text, likely the work of a 16th-century alchemist, demonstrated a deep knowledge of medicinal plants and a unique expertise in assembling, infusing, and macerating more than 130 herbs, thus creating a perfectly balanced and powerful tonic. The extreme complexity of the recipe meant that only certain parts of the manuscript were understood and used at Vauvert. Then, at the beginning of the 18th century, this precious document was sent to the Order's Mother House, La Grande Chartreuse, nestled in the magnificent mountains near Grenoble. It was there that the monastery's apothecary, Brother Jérôme Maubec, finally managed to unlock the secret and, in 1737, wrote the practical preparation formula for the legendary Elixir, which was put into practice from 1764. In 1903, following the nationalization of the distillery by the French government, the monks were expelled. However, after the company's bankruptcy in 1929, they regained the Chartreuse brand and resumed production of the authentic liqueurs in their distillery built in 1860 at Fourvoirie, near the monastery. In 1935, a landslide almost completely destroyed Fourvoirie, forcing the transfer of production to Voiron, where it continues today with passion and tradition.
The artisanal manufacturing process of Chartreuse relies on a rigorous selection, meticulous grinding, and precise blending of secret herbs, aromatic and medicinal plants, carried out directly in the monastery by two monks dedicated to this ancestral art. After this step, the ingredients are transported to Voiron, where they macerate in an exceptional carefully selected alcohol before being expertly distilled. The resulting liqueurs then undergo patient aging for several years in large oak barrels, resting in a cellar with some of the longest and most prestigious maturations in the world, guaranteeing incomparable quality and aromatic richness.
The Elixir Liqueur 1605 was created in 2005 to brilliantly celebrate the 400th anniversary of the original manuscript, thus embodying the excellence and prestige of a unique ancestral monastic tradition in the world.
Delivery possible only to home addresses.
