How long is Chartreuse VEP aged?

April 7, 2008 4:19 PM

How long is Chartreuse VEP aged?

A customer at the bar the other night asked us how long the VEP was aged and no one knew. I tried looking it up, and found that the regular stuff is aged five years in oak, but can find no information on the VEP except that it's longer than that. Anyone have an idea?
Thanks.

posted by Jawn to food & drink (2 comments total)

Even the manufacturers page will not say specifically. But it's (VEP) only been around since 1968:

A small portion of the liqueur is selected for special treatment. This bit of liqueur is aged for an extra length of time and, after the chief distiller declares it ready for bottling, it is packaged and marketed as V.E.P. Chartreuse ("Viellissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé"). This special liqueur is packaged in 50 cl and 1 liter bottles which are reproductions of the bottles used in 1840, Each bottle of V.E.P. is individually numbered, is sealed with wax and is presented in its own carefilly-fitted wooden box.
posted by Agamenticus at 5:23 PM on April 7, 2008

I ran into that site during my search, it says VEP was introduced in 1963, but presumably was aged for an indeterminate amount of time before that. I'm just wondering if it's ten years or fifty.

Oh wow, you can buy a 1964 bottling of the stuff.
posted by Jawn at 6:39 PM on April 7, 2008