CHARTREUSE - VEP Green VEP - Porcelain Jug - Batch L927136 - 54%
The Order of the Chartreuse boasts a rich history of over 500 years when, in 1605, within 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 for an extraordinary "Elixir," also called the "Elixir of Long Life." This manuscript, likely the work of a 16th-century alchemist, demonstrated profound knowledge of medicinal plants and rare herbs, as well as remarkable mastery of the art of assembling, infusing, and macerating more than 130 different plants to obtain a perfectly balanced and unique tonic. The complexity of this recipe meant that only certain extracts were initially exploited in Vauvert.
At the beginning of the 18th century, this precious manuscript was sent to the Mother House of the Order, La Grande Chartreuse, nestled in the mountains near Grenoble. It was then that the monastery's apothecary, Brother Jérôme Maubec, succeeded in unraveling the mystery of the formula. In 1737, he wrote the complete recipe for preparing the Elixir, finalized in 1764. After the nationalization of the distillery in 1903 and the expulsion of the monks, they reclaimed the Chartreuse brand following bankruptcy in 1929. They then rejoined their distillery, built in 1860 at Fourvoirie, near the monastery, and relaunched the authentic production of the famous Chartreuse liqueurs. Following a landslide in 1935 that nearly destroyed Fourvoirie, production was transferred to Voiron, where it continues to this day.
The manufacturing process relies on rigorous selection, meticulous grinding, and precise blending of secret herbs, aromatic and medicinal plants, a task carried out in the monastery by two devoted monks. Once this step is completed, the ingredients are transported to Voiron where they undergo maceration in carefully selected alcohol, followed by attentive distillation. These unique liqueurs are then aged for several years in large oak barrels, then placed in a cellar with some of the longest maturation periods in the world, giving each drop its richness and inimitable character.
A small batch of this exceptional liqueur is reserved for special treatment. This batch benefits from additional prolonged aging, and once declared ready by the master distiller, it is bottled and marketed under the prestigious name V.E.P. Chartreuse – "Exceptionally Prolonged Aging". This rare edition is highly prized by connoisseurs and enthusiasts of exceptional spirits seeking the perfect blend of monastic tradition and supreme quality.
