The number of times the world has faced a shortage of sorts because monks don't want to produce more of it so that they can focus on their primary goal of praying and meditating is something that's rather unique to the drinks scene and you've got to admit, is rather amusing. Chartreuse belongs in that category. 

The herbal liqueur is till this day produced by just two monks in Voiron, France, who as it turns out don't want to be producing anymore than they already do, leading to big claims of a worldwide shortage - to be fair it isn't so much a shortage, as it is them not producing more than they have to in order to sustain the monastery.

La Grande Chartreuse.

This Is Chartreuse: A Brief Yet Intriguing History

The origins of Chartreuse are unknown - in 1605 the Carthusian monks of the Chartreuse monastery in Vauvert had received a mysterious gift, a manuscript said to be the recipe for an ancient elixir for long life. This came from Francois Hannibal d'Estrees, the Marshal of King Henri IV's artillery. This Elixir of Long Life is said to be a complex blend of 130 herbs and plants that would together create a tonic, and nobody really knows who came up with this recipe. Eventually the monks took it to their headquarters, the La Grande Chartreuse, and it was there that the monastery's apothecary Frere Jerome Maubec would spend several decades deciphering it, finally cracking the code in 1737.

Initially the monks would simply sell the herbal tonic in small bottles over in nearby villages to supplement needed income to sustain the monastery. However, by 1764, the monks would create what we know today to be Green Chartreuse. This was a big hit and became incredibly popular. Nevertheless when the French Revolution came, all religious orders were forced out of country, however, thankfully the monks had made a copy of the recipe and kept it with them. By 1816, they were allowed back into France, and they would later in 1840 create the next most popular Chartreuse, the Yellow Chartreuse, which was meant to be milder and sweeter.

At the turn of the 20th Century, the monks were once again forced out of the country, and the the trademark for "Chartreuse" was even sold to a group of distillers. The monks would nevertheless move to Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, and continue to produce the liqueur with an added label " Liqueur fabriquée à Tarragone par les Pères Chartreux" (translated as "liqueur manufactured in Tarragona by the Carthusian Fathers"). Eventually though the French company acting under the name Chartreuse would go bankrupt in 1929 and several friends of the monks would purchase the company's remaining shares and return the trademark to the original Carthusian monks. 

Chartreuse Today

Today the liqueur is properly produced only by the Chartreuse monks once again, with the distillery having been moved to nearby Aiguenoire in 2017 for safety concerns, yet its extensive lore has become the subject of great intrigue by liqueur fans who constantly attempt to try Chartreuse produced at various points of the monastery's history to see if there are any noticeable differences.

Now the liqueur itself, as mentioned, is made by just two monks who select, crush and mix the extensive recipe of botanicals. The ingredients are macerated in alcohol before being distilled, and are afterwards left to age in huge oak casks for years. This makes for the world's longest liqueur cellars, and once ready, the monks then pass on the bottling, packaging, advertising and retailing to a separate company known as Chartreuse Diffusion.

Today we've got a whole set of the most classic Chartreuse cuvees, going beyond the most recognisable Green and Yellow Chartreuse and we're going to taste them all!

Let's go!

Review: Green Chartreuse, 55% ABV

The Green Chartreuse was the first blockbuster hit from the monastery. Created in 1840, this was originally called the Liqueur de Sante, and follows the original recipe for the first ever Chartreuse liqueur. This was later officially named Chartreuse Verte.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Big on the juniper, and quickly thereafter there's a heap of menthol, and an almost chewy earthiness of mugwort, licorice, organic cola syrup. It's incredibly minty, reminiscent of a herbal toothpaste. More on angelica too. It almost has the spirit-y intensity of gin - it's not spicy, but rather spiced, with a rounded richness.

Taste: Still very rich on the palate, with that herbal quality persisting - very minty. It's alittle more spicy and hot here, yet not overwhelming. More on eucalyptus, juniper, with a more prominent herbal root-y note of angelica. It's somewhat syrupy, with a broadly green tone to the flavours here.

Finish: More of that mint, black licorice, organic cola syrup, with a sweeter note of brown sugar here. It's definitely richer into the finish, giving off a sweeter, deep warmth. Some more mugwort to be had here.

My Thoughts

This definitely comes off like a sipping gin on first impressions, or perhaps a minty herbal toothpaste! It's very juniper led, with a big earthiness and spiced quality to it. On the palate, it's more green, with a very precise and distinctively narrow flavour profile of medicinal roots and green herbs. Into the finish, it does become richer and sweeter, with this lovely sweet earthiness of organic cola syrup and brown sugar. It's all very rounded and rich, evoking a nice, deep warmth on the firm and syrupy body, which makes it quite the tasty herbal liqueur that you'd love to carry on a winter day. Definitely a very well-constructed liqueur!

My Rating: 7.5/10 

Score/Rating Scale :

• 9-10 : Exceptional, highly memorable, 10/10 would buy if I could.
• 7-8 : Excellent, well above most in its category, worth considering buy-zone.
• 4-6 : Good, okay, alright; a few flaws, but acceptable; not bad, but not my personal preference; still worth trying, could be a buy if the price is right.
• 1-3 : Not good; really did not enjoy; wouldn't even recommend trying.
• 0 : Un-scored, might be damaged, new make, or very unusual.

Review: Yellow Chartreuse, 43% ABV

We're on to the next most popular Chartreuse, this is the Yellow Chartreuse that was first made in 1840, inspired by the original formula. It was later officially named Chartreuse Jaune and registered as a trademark.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: It opens with a big serving of mint and juniper, it's giving herbal toothpaste here. It's brighter and lighter, with an outline of elderflower. It's less earthy than the Green Chartreuse.

Taste: The big minty and juniper forward notes persist, still very much giving mint toothpaste, along with some elderflower syrup to keep it bright. It's starting to lean somewhat sweeter and lighter, with a firmness and brightness to it.

Finish: More on black licorice here, as well as chrysanthemum, elderflowers, it's more syrupy sweet with a more prominent honey note here.

My Thoughts

Interesting, this feels like its a variation of the Green Chartreuse - at the core its still very similar, but here it's turned much lighter and brighter, with less of that earthiness in place for more of a floral aspect to it. It also leans brighter, more floral and sweeter, as opposed to the darker, more earthy, deeper sweetness that comes with the Green Chartreuse.

That said, I find that whilst the Yellow Chartreuse feels lighter and more floral, I find it less cohesive and also sharper than the Green Chartreuse. Here it feels less rounded, with a big gap between the deeper, richer notes, and the brighter, more floral and higher toned aspects, that sort of made that big contrast really noticeable. I could see this being a lighter, more floral version that's suited for brighter cocktails, but this one definitely has less of that wow factor.

My Rating: 6/10 

Score/Rating Scale :

• 9-10 : Exceptional, highly memorable, 10/10 would buy if I could.
• 7-8 : Excellent, well above most in its category, worth considering buy-zone.
• 4-6 : Good, okay, alright; a few flaws, but acceptable; not bad, but not my personal preference; still worth trying, could be a buy if the price is right.
• 1-3 : Not good; really did not enjoy; wouldn't even recommend trying.
• 0 : Un-scored, might be damaged, new make, or very unusual.

Review: Chartreuse Liqueur du 9 Centenaire, 47% ABV

This is a special cuvee first made in 1984 to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Carthusian Order in 1084 by Saint Bruno.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: More gentle here yet keeping with that roundedness to it, it continues on with that richness too. Here it's on mint, eucalyptus, mugwort, sarsaparilla and angelica - it's herbal, minty and almost chewy, much like the Green Chartreuse, yet without that big juniper bite. And then it's accented by a light and brighter fragrance of elderflower, more in the vein of the Yellow Chartreuse.

Taste: Really layered, again it's gentle and rounded, yet the layers are distinct, with a minty and earthy, root-y initial layer of mint, juniper, eucalyptus, mugwort, sarsaparilla, very green and herbal. And then that lifts off to give a lighter, more gentle layer of yellow, in the form of elderflowers, chrysanthemum, and other yellow florals. Both layers yet are bold and distinct, but always mellow, really rich and rounded. It's almost a mix of herbal toothpaste and gin - spiced, herbal, and a touch medicinal.

Finish: More of that deeper, earthier herbal sweetness - brown sugar, organic cola, again accented by that brighter outline of elderflowers, and then with more on black licorice and sarsaparilla.

My Thoughts

This is probably my favorite by far - it's multi layered, well composed and complex, it really just feels most complete. It's cohesive with a core of the darker, more earthy notes, and then accented by the brighter, more floral elderflowers. On the whole it's still very rounded and rich, neither too herbal and dark, nor bright and sharp - it showcases much more balance that makes it better for sipping on its own, and features the best parts of both the Green and Yellow Chartreuse. It's also more gentle and mellow, but also broader and less narrow in its flavour profile. It's really the best parts of everything Chartreuse - this is definitely the best of the lot for sipping!

My Rating: 9/10 

Score/Rating Scale :

• 9-10 : Exceptional, highly memorable, 10/10 would buy if I could.
• 7-8 : Excellent, well above most in its category, worth considering buy-zone.
• 4-6 : Good, okay, alright; a few flaws, but acceptable; not bad, but not my personal preference; still worth trying, could be a buy if the price is right.
• 1-3 : Not good; really did not enjoy; wouldn't even recommend trying.
• 0 : Un-scored, might be damaged, new make, or very unusual.

Review: Chartreuse Cuvee des Meilleur Ouvriers de France Sommeliers (MOF) Liqueur, 45% ABV

This special Yellow Chartreuse was created in 2008 in collaboration between the Carthusian monks and the Meilleur Ouvriers de France Sommeliers (M.O.F).

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Big medicinal start, with loads of juniper, it's quite spicy, yet at the same time there's an incredibly aromatic zesty note of lemon peel. More of that mugwort and angelica, it's quite spice forward, yet keeps that good richness that backs up the brightness and punchy precision.

Taste: More intense and again punchy and sharper here, it's still very much juniper led, yet at the same time it's big on that herbal note too. That brighter, zesty lemon peel note comes through here as well, with some elderflower, mugwort and angelica. It leans sweeter, spicy, but with a very nice punchy intensity, and a really distinct and precise flavour profile. That lemon balm note is impeccable!

Finish: It develops a more medicinal and herbal tone here, also deepening with that organic cola syrup note, sarsaparilla, black licorice, brown sugar, and then also more angelica. There's lots of those medicinal herbal roots, where here it's backed up by a good richness. A final note of some chewing tobacco.

My Thoughts

This has a really good intensity about it that keeps it sharp and on point, with a really distinctive flavour profile that's juniper led, but also has this big fragrant lemon note to it too. There's this lemon peel or lemon balm note that we haven't quite gotten before, and at the same time this is also alot more medicinal and punchy. It's more sparing on the sweet syrupy quality, and does feel rather cocktail focused as an ingredient rather than being made for sipping on its own. It still keeps some of that Green Chartreuse identity, with that rich earthiness into the finish, yet again displays something totally new with this almost tobacco note on the finish. This one's very exciting, incredibly fresh, and feels almost more modern.

My Rating: 8/10 

Score/Rating Scale :

• 9-10 : Exceptional, highly memorable, 10/10 would buy if I could.
• 7-8 : Excellent, well above most in its category, worth considering buy-zone.
• 4-6 : Good, okay, alright; a few flaws, but acceptable; not bad, but not my personal preference; still worth trying, could be a buy if the price is right.
• 1-3 : Not good; really did not enjoy; wouldn't even recommend trying.
• 0 : Un-scored, might be damaged, new make, or very unusual.

Review: Chartreuse Liqueur D'Elixir 1605, 56% ABV

This was first created in 2005 to comemmorate the 400th anniversary of the handing over of the Elixir de Longue - the original recipe via the manuscript - by Marshal d'Estrees to the Chatreux de Vauvert. Basically it commemorates the origins of Chartreuse's liqueur! This is inspired by the Liqueur de Sante or Elixir de Table that became the Green Chartreuse.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: It's starting off with minty toothpaste once again, some juniper and angelica too, sarsaparilla and a very prominent mugwort scent. This definitely leans much more herbaceous and minty, and yet has a good richness about it.

Taste: The big minty note carries over to the palate, joined by some lemon balm and lemon peels, mugwort again too. It's more distinct and precise here, a good spicy kick to it too, with also a good amount of richness to it. It still leans brighter, with a pretty floral and herbaceous flavour, as opposed to the darker, more rooty style. 

Finish: More of that organic cola syrup, it takes a richer and sweeter development here, with more on licorice, brown sugar, and more herbal cough syrup as well. Just a final touch of lemon balm.

My Thoughts 

Whilst this started off with a big minty kick, giving that herbal mint toothpaste again, it turns sweeter, richer and more earthy into the finish. It's not as spicy or as intense as the MOF version, here it's much rounder, more minty, herbal and herbaceous, before giving way to something of organic cola syrup. This was quite sippable as well, and falls somewhere between the Green Chartreuse and the MOF version, with also some of that bright and zesty lemon-y quality to it too. 

My Rating: 7.5/10 

Score/Rating Scale :

• 9-10 : Exceptional, highly memorable, 10/10 would buy if I could.
• 7-8 : Excellent, well above most in its category, worth considering buy-zone.
• 4-6 : Good, okay, alright; a few flaws, but acceptable; not bad, but not my personal preference; still worth trying, could be a buy if the price is right.
• 1-3 : Not good; really did not enjoy; wouldn't even recommend trying.
• 0 : Un-scored, might be damaged, new make, or very unusual.

Review: Le Genepi des Peres Chartreux Liqueur, 40% ABV

Finally we have the Le Genepi which is an Alpine style liqueur made with particular focus on the use of mugwort. It uses rare Alpine varieties of artemisia.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Minty but gentle, with some brighter aromatics of lemon peel and lemon balm, alongside a slightly sharper hit of juniper.

Taste: Really light and gentle here, yet surprisingly powerful in its aromas. It's giving lemon balm, lemon peel, sweet lemons, which develops into elderflower, mint, mugwort and finally some organic cola syrup. It's very mellow yet incredibly aromatic here.

Finish: More of that sarsaparilla, organic cola syrup, brown sugar, and just a touch of lemon balm here.

My Thoughts 

This was really nice, very mellow and gentle, yet intensely aromatic. It had a mix of green and yellow notes that were herbaceous yet bright and zesty, with a more pronounced and natural lemon note here. It's not particularly sharp or overly spicy, and without overly strong flavours here. It makes for a really good sipper, with a very lovely cohesiveness and richness. 

My Rating: 7.5/10 

Score/Rating Scale :

• 9-10 : Exceptional, highly memorable, 10/10 would buy if I could.
• 7-8 : Excellent, well above most in its category, worth considering buy-zone.
• 4-6 : Good, okay, alright; a few flaws, but acceptable; not bad, but not my personal preference; still worth trying, could be a buy if the price is right.
• 1-3 : Not good; really did not enjoy; wouldn't even recommend trying.
• 0 : Un-scored, might be damaged, new make, or very unusual.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot