CHARTREUSE - Green - Edition 1982-1989 - 55%
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The Order of the Chartreuse has existed for over 500 years when, in 1605, in a Chartreuse monastery located in Vauvert, a charming suburb of Paris, the monks received a precious gift from Duke François Hannibal d'Estrées: an ancient manuscript detailing a mysterious "Elixir," nicknamed the "Elixir of Long Life." This manuscript, likely the work of a 16th-century alchemist, shows deep knowledge of herbs and reveals exceptional skill in the art of assembling, infusing, and macerating no fewer than 130 carefully selected plants to create a tonic of perfect harmony. Due to the recipe's great complexity, only certain extracts were initially deciphered and used in Vauvert. At the beginning of the 18th century, this 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 this mystery and, in 1737, developed the practical formula for preparing the Elixir, completed in 1764. In 1903, the Chartreuse distillery was nationalized by the French government, causing the monks' expulsion. Following the 1929 bankruptcy, the monks recovered the Chartreuse brand, returned to their distillery, built in 1860 at Fourvoirie near the monastery, and relaunched the authentic production of Chartreuse liqueurs. After the near-collapse of Fourvoirie in 1935 due to a landslide, production was transferred to Voiron, where it continues today.
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The rigorous selection, meticulous grinding, and precise blending of the secret herbs, medicinal plants, and other botanicals used for the liqueurs' production are carried out inside the monastery by two devoted monks. Once this subtle blend is prepared, the ingredients are transported to Voiron, where they undergo slow maceration in a rigorously selected alcohol before careful distillation. Finally, these exceptional liqueurs benefit from prolonged aging of several years in huge oak barrels, stored in a maturation cellar renowned for having some of the longest aging durations in the world, guaranteeing incomparable quality and aromatic richness.
