CHARTREUSE - Elixir Liqueur 1605 - 2024 Edition - 56%
The Order of the Chartreuse, rich with over 500 years of history, saw the birth in 1605, within a monastery located in Vauvert, a charming suburb of Paris, of a precious heritage thanks to Duke François Hannibal d'Estrées. He offered the monks an ancient manuscript called "Elixir," also nicknamed "Elixir of Long Life." This manuscript was likely the work of a 16th-century alchemist, endowed with profound knowledge of rare herbs. It described the subtle art of assembling, infusing, and macerating no fewer than 130 plants to create a perfectly balanced tonic. The complexity of the recipe meant that only certain fragments were 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 decipher the mystery and, in 1737, wrote the practical preparation formula for the precious Elixir, finalized in 1764. In 1903, the distillery was nationalized by the French government and the monks were expelled. However, during the 1929 bankruptcy, they reclaimed the Chartreuse brand, regained their distillery built in 1860 at Fourvoirie, near the Monastery, and relaunched the authentic production of the true Chartreuse liqueurs. Following the 1935 landslide that devastated Fourvoirie, production was transferred to Voiron, where it continues today with the same ancestral expertise.
The meticulous selection, precise grinding, and harmonious blending of the secret herbs, aromatic and medicinal plants used to create these exceptional liqueurs are carried out within the monastery itself by two expert monks. Once this operation is completed, the ingredients are transported to Voiron where they undergo rigorous maceration in a carefully selected alcohol before being masterfully distilled. Finally, these precious liqueurs patiently age for several years in immense oak barrels, stored in a maturation cellar boasting the longest aging periods in the world.
The Elixir Liqueur 1605 was created in 2005 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Manuscript, thus perpetuating a unique heritage, a symbol of excellence and authenticity.
Discover now this historical marvel and let yourself be enchanted by the richness of flavors and the fascinating history of Chartreuse, exclusively at Clos des Spiritueux, your expert in rare and refined spirits.
