Chartreuse

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Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
I want to serve Chartreuse to a Chartreuse-lover (and -expert).

How old must Chartreuse be to be satisfactory/impressive to a discerning person? What other guidelines might be pertinent?

Thanks!

. . . . Pete
 
No expertise here. A bit of reading (e.g.) suggests that for every bottle that ages well you will find another bottle that has gone out of balance. In addition to the well-known varieties -- green, yellow, and with/without "VEP" (meaning, very old) -- apparently the monks release all kinds of limited bottlings.
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
Chartreuse
I want to serve Chartreuse to a Chartreuse-lover (and -expert).

How old must Chartreuse be to be satisfactory/impressive to a discerning person? What other guidelines might be pertinent?

Thanks!

. . . . Pete
Click to expand...

If you really want to impress, try to auction a bottle from before 1903, when the monks moved to Tarragona for political reasons. Or get one from the Tarragona period. Anything before world war II actually will be greatly appreciated (and will cost you accordingly).
 
Georg, good suggestions but I am probably short on time (and, frankly, funds).

[EDITED TO ADD] I found a viable deal on a VEP Green so I should be fixed up.

. . . . Pete
 
The other thing fans usually appreciate is Elixier Vegetal, which is pretty much the concentrated base - less sugar, much more alcohol. You take it with a spoon. Not available in the US (at least until recently - found one US source on wine searcher today), and only sparingly elsewhere, so that is usually a winner.
 
Two questions...

1) If served after the cheese course, will Chartreuse work if served straight (up) with mignardises (miscellaneous cookies and chocolate bites) or should it be held back until after the mignardises?

2) I see mixed opinions, should Chartreuse straight (up) be served cold or not cold?

Thanks!

. . . . Pete
 
I'm no expert on Chartreuse, or any other digestif, but I have drunk it from time to time, always at room temperature. Personally, I'd drink it after the meal (as I would with any other digestif) but YMMV.

Mark Lipton
 
Mark, thanks!

I was initially thinking after the meal, but I've seen several comments about how well Chartreuse goes with chocolate. This makes me think it might serve well with mignardises which will include chocolate items.

For temperature, I've seen room temp, cool temp, and cold temp. Intuitively, cold sounds the best to my uneducated mind but what do I know!?!

Current plan is to use a medium sized Burgundy glass which has a flared lip.

. . . . Pete
 
There might be some concern that freezing might tear down some of the ingredients (e.g.herbs, vegetables). And perhaps there is nothing to gain by freezing.

. . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

There might be some concern that freezing might tear down some of the ingredients (e.g.herbs, vegetables). And perhaps there is nothing to gain by freezing.

. . . . Pete
Click to expand...

that is just the way i like it--the v.e.p. green that is--a preference created in a vacuum [of conventional wisdom]. v. cold. i have kept litre bottles in me freezer for a good while whilst consuming, and have not noticed any change, nor is there any sediment or other crystally things in the bottom of the bottle.

i currently have a bottle of the chartreuse elixer that i keep in the cabinet (i find it more or less undrinkable on its own), but do add several drops to a shot or so of zwak unicum (which is kept in the freezer), and its aromatics really send the unicum into another orbit. crazy bitter. crazy aromatics.

my very uneducated understanding of the elixer is that it is a concentrate/essence to be used in the construction of cocktails and not intended for human consumption on its own. my own experience supports this thinking.
 
Robert, I personally like the sound of the approach you describe but, given most people have recommended serving at cool cellar temperature, I might compromise and serve the Green VEP right out of the refrigerator (not freezer).

. . . . Pete
 
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