Green Chartreuse, a strong green liqueur, gets its characteristic taste and colour from a secret blend of over 130 herbs which is made by Carthusian monks in the Chartreuse mountains just north of Grenoble. The monks had been making herbal elixirs at their monastery since the middle ages but it was in 1764 that Green Chartreuse was introduced.
The original distillery was destroyed in a mudslide so today Chartreuse is made at Voiron. It’s available in its classic green and yellow iterations as well as various limited editions. It’s delicious neat as a digestif or in cocktails like the Last Word - a sour made with Green Chartreuse, gin, maraschino liqueur and lime juice.
Stunning...nothing better in my experience of liqueurs. During 30 seconds of nosing, tasting and swallowing, there are no gaps in scents, flavour and texture, and it finishes without fading. So rich overall that it's not veiled by 55% alcohol content.
Just replacing the last bottle I had. It claimed to have been shipped in 1705 and was produced by L Garnier. I'll see if it still tastes the same.
As good as it gets. So good you put it at the back of the cupboard and then forget about it - it's precious after all - and then wow . . .
Have been drinking this for 50 years. A little poured over vanilla ice cream, delicious, but in a cocktail, never.
Makes your toes curl
