CHARTREUSE - Yellow - 2023 Edition - 43% ABV
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 containing the recipe for an "Elixir" nicknamed the "Elixir of Long Life." This unique manuscript was likely the work of a 16th-century alchemist, possessing exceptional mastery of herbs and plants, capable of combining, infusing, and macerating more than 130 botanical ingredients to create a tonic of remarkable complexity and balance. The original recipe remained mysterious; only fragments were understood and used at Vauvert. In the early 18th century, this manuscript was transferred to the Order's Mother House, La Grande Chartreuse, nestled in the mountains near Grenoble.
It was the monastery's apothecary, Brother Jérôme Maubec, who finally managed to unlock the secret of the formula. In 1737, he developed a practical recipe for preparing the Elixir, officially recorded in 1764. However, in 1903, the Chartreuse distillery was nationalized by the French government and the monks were forced into exile. Upon bankruptcy in 1929, they regained the Chartreuse brand and resumed authentic production of this exceptional liqueur at their Fourvoirie distillery, built in 1860 near the monastery.
In 1935, a landslide nearly destroyed Fourvoirie, forcing production to be transferred to Voiron, where it continues today, preserving an ancestral craft.
The precise selection, meticulous grinding, and secret blending of herbs, plants, and medicinal botanicals intended for the liqueurs are carried out directly within the monastery by two specialist monks. Once concocted, this blend is sent to Voiron where it undergoes slow maceration in a carefully selected high-quality alcohol. The mixture is then distilled and aged for several years in large oak barrels stored in a cellar renowned for housing one of the longest maturation processes in the world, giving Chartreuse its rich and deep aromas.
The Yellow Chartreuse stands out for its superior softness and lightness compared to the famous Green Chartreuse. Produced from a more limited blend of about 40 plants, herbs, and spices (versus 130 for the Green), it benefits from a shorter aging period, which gives it a particular finesse and roundness. It also has a more moderate alcohol content at 40%, offering a balanced tasting experience between complex aromatics and accessibility.
Discover this exceptional liqueur at Clos des Spiritueux, your expert in rare and authentic spirits, to enrich your collection and enhance your tasting moments with an exceptional Yellow Chartreuse, assembled according to millennia-old traditional methods.
