Chartreuse Green Liqueur

Rating: 19/23 No idea what to expect here. N: There's a minty spiciness with anise, as well as some richer, more savory herbs, some earth, straw, wood, and a hint of citrus. It smells good with an intriguing, ever-changing profile. Definitely though, it smells like something that some people will not enjoy and it smells quite situational. P: The palate has a big vibrancy yet doesn't taste super rich. There's a bit of prickliness and herbaceousness that remind me a little of a high rye rye like WhistlePig. The particular herbal profile reminds me of Jagermeister, but with more distinct flavors, less sugary viscosity, and none of that metallic cola flavor. There's a bit of that Jagermeister Cold Brew spiciness in this, but not the roastiness. The complexity here is really surprising and enjoyable, particularly since the flavors just go together so nicely. It masks its alcohol pretty well too. I figured it was probably 30 to 40 percent alcohol, but I checked the back and it's 55! The actual flavors include a big kick of black, white, and even rainbow peppercorns. played against a viscous sweetness with an herbal backing. The mint, anise, and citrus come through, though not nearly so much as the pepper. There's some sort of bitter herb flavor hanging out in the back that I'm having trouble placing, but I definitely get some piney rosemary in here and maybe a little bit of thyme as well. There is unfortunately a bit of something a little off with the alcohol flavor coming through that causes me to not love this. F: The pepperiness and light herbaceousness persist while the alcohol and viscous sweetness subside. It's a light, fresh finish that sticks around for a while and is enjoyable to contemplate while also being more balanced than the palate (albeit less complex). This strikes me as the herbal counterpoint to St. Germain - it's elegant and very complex with a particular genre of flavors being targeted (specifically floral/fruity and spicy/herbal as opposed to being limited to chocolate or a spattering of fruits and spices and nuts and caramel and ...) and it doesn't reveal much alcohol either. This isn't just something that I could drink - it's something that I'd be happy to drink. It's a shame it's so expensive, but not much is necessary at once, so I think this bottle will last me a while. I'm not sure I have any reason to restock Jagermeister when I run out now that I have Chartreuse Green (not that I really did anything with Jagermeister to begin with), even though they aren't quite perfect substitutes. I'm looking forward to trying this out in various cocktails and maybe just enjoying a small pour now and then. I need to actually rate this though. I started off with a 16, which I probably should have posted as a separate tasting, but I was too lazy. That seems low now though. This strikes me as better than any of the orange liqueurs I've tried as a sipper (though less likely to achieve universal appeal) and I'm not really sure what to put it in (I mean, I only know of like 2 cocktails). That said, it doesn't seem at all bad mixed in with some gin or tequila, but it needs to be moderated, so it won't be the main flavor there. The flavors here do get muddled fairly quickly, whereas they hold up better St. Germain when it is mixed and with a palate that is not in perfect shape. Considering that, I think St. Germain is the better of the two. Its flavor also holds up well in a drink and both are best suited for refreshing drinks with comparatively low ABVs where the complexity of the spirit is more in play, so I don't think that the St. Germain's lower ABV hurts its relative value for the money a lot. A couple of things I tried that should serve as good yardsticks for cocktails are this with vodka and this with gin. The particular vodka (Beluga Noble) is a bit milky/oaty sweet with a harshess to it. It worked well, taming this a bit, while adding a new element. The cheap gin (Dover Strait) also gave the Chartreuse an interesting new personality with its stark juniper flavor and clean presence. I wouldn't say that either was necessarily better than plain Chartreuse Green, but they at least helped to stretch the bottle and are promising for actual cocktails involving Chartreuse. I've even tried mixing it with bourbon and found that the result was about as good as the neat Chartreause and possibly better. It's like sugar plus slightly bitter herbal stuff, so that makes sense. I think with a bit more effort I'll find something that really clicks here, but, regardless, there is a lot of potential for Chartreuse in cocktails. I think that Chartreuse tastes at least as good as Grand Marnier does neat (and really I think it's better). I can therefore sort of imagine going as low as a 17 for this, but really I think that 18 is more the bottom. I don't see it going as high as 21 though, so 18 to 20 is the most realistic range and either 19 or 20 really does seem right. 19 it is for now, but I can definitely imagine this moving up to a 20 in the future. Here's where I'm going to do something really unusual. I have not found that excellent cocktail that definitively moves this up to a 20 yet, but because I have found so many that are about as good as this is neat, I'm going to make an assertion: because Chartreuse Green neat is on the borderline between 19 and 20, at least one of those cocktails is most likely enough better than neat Chartreuse to bump it into the 20 range, and if none is good enough, I'm sure that one is out there and not incredibly hard to find. Think of this as a loan, Chartreuse. I may take it back and bump you down to a 19 at any time.

Well, I've known about this liqueur (and it's yellow sibling) for a good while, but for some reason, I've just recently been seeing more and more cocktail recipes that are requiring this. I've known about the high price, but not the high proof, which, combined with a curiosity of said new-to-me cocktails, went ahead with the purchase. Against my better wishes, I want to try a few ounces of this the same way I would any other spirit, and start to do the same for all of my other liqueurs as well. With the complexity and the highest ingredient count of any beverage I've ever had, this is one hell of a place to start. Of course there's a lot to the nose, but my immediate thoughts, without thinking, include notes of furniture cleaner, anise (not even licorice, instead the actual ground spice, in this case), dried citrus peels, juniper berries, and do many other tiny spices and botanicals that blend too much for me to pick out. There is a little ethanol, but not enough for me to predict the moderate 110 proof. The initial flavor is nothing but spices, like the entire aisle of Whole Foods spices were mixed in. Even holding the liquid still, the spices seep all around the mouth, being both an oily and a dry texture. The anise flavor starts to creep in somewhat here, but it's not until it's swallowed that it's really made known. The flavors in the mouth and throat now differ, letting the spicier notes come through in the throat, while the mouth gets more of the raw, baking spices. Once air is introduced, this becomes as dry as if I were eating sand. Fresh notes of very dry citrus and some juniper help mold the finish. Cheers indeed to anyone who's got a glass of this neat right now, because this is a bit too concentrated for me to enjoy it that way. The possibilities of enhancing and playing with different flavors in cocktails are definitely endless, especially since some liquors would bring out notes of this that others would not be able to. Calling this unique goes without saying, but I do love the history and secrecy behind the creation. I wouldn't go as far as saying that this is a needed liqueur for everyone's bar, but it's for sure available and recommended for those who are craving and urging to find the next best mixed combination.

I read @cascode review and and just had to try for myself. The unique coloring, the mystery of ingredients and mostly someone’s and different. This all seems a perfect analogy to a new year. I tasted over several pours over several days. To the best I could uncover, expose and experience. A pale green, artificial looking color similar to the color of sour apple Jolly Rancher. If judging a nose by it’s appearance, then you would most like guess correctly the aromas. Earthy and minty. Fresh mowed lawn clippings and spearmint, basil, oregano, pine needles, fennel, thyme, oranges with cloves all awaking the nose. Cinnamon and nutmeg add a bit of earthy spiciness. This is unlike any other combined aroma I have previously nosed. Antiseptic yet captivating. The palate is quite unique as well. It arrives viscous, oily and dense. Spiciness of white pepper is coated on the tongue from the slick fluid. From there, it turns delicately sweet with herbaceous. Take a simple, white sugar syrup and blend in thyme, basil or pesto, fennel, spearmint, rosemary, pickled ginger, cinnamon. There are other flavors that I cannot fully extract. The complexity of flavors is far beyond what the palate can isolate and detect. What could be detected feels like just a fraction of what’s there. Like and iceberg (as we all know the analogy) there is much more below the surface. The palate remains oily and tingly with the white pepper, syrup, spearmint and pesto sauce. Fortunately this remains for an essential eternity, and rewardingly so. Not sure what else to say. This is unique, refreshing, satisfying, cleansing, aromatic and tasty. I haven’t used that many adjectives together to describe a single spirit that I have tasted. Perfect compliment as a digestif. But just as much for the simple enjoyment. Worth the price of admission. [$56][96/100][Tasted: 12/21/22]

Appearance: Chartreuse. A pale yellow/green colour of crystal clarity that catches the light like a green diamond or peridot. It’s similar to the colour of high-grade un-louched absinthe. Aroma: Lime juice, lime marmalade, pine needles, basil, oregano, angelica, spearmint, peppermint, a zephyr of green anise, thyme, juniper, dried orange skin, orange sherbet, cinnamon, menthol, wintergreen, melissa, grapefruit, a suggestion of eucalyptus, liquidamber storax and a hundred other herbal and spice aromas (quite literally). The complexity of this nose is preternatural. Flavour and Texture: A very sweet and complex herbaceous beginning that develops into an intricate mid-palate built around mint, citrus, pine oil, rosemary, sorrel, basil, green anise, fennel, petit wormwood and an array of seed spices too complex to unravel. The finish is long, with emerging ginger and red ginseng, and there is a note of gentian bitterness in the aftertaste. The texture is dense and syrupy. This is a liqueur of unexcelled complexity and nobility. In the spectrum of liqueurs, just as in the spectrum of visible light, Chartreuse stands bright and aloof at centre stage flanked by everything else. I like to take it neat, at room temperature, with a demitasse of strong black unsweetened coffee. “Patrician” : 96/100 (5 stars)

Review #30 - Liqueur #5 The 350ml bottle has been opened for years, having well over half the liqueur still inside. It has not been opened in these last few years and stored appropriately, thus without major oxidation. Aspect - oily, very viscuous...and a very bright green! Nose - quite a bit of alcohol (55% is insane for a liqueur), spicy, peppery, very strong pine aroma, coniferous tree sap, mint. Palate - extremely viscuous and oily, unbelievably so. Very strong, bright, herbal taste, first very sweet, then very spicy Finish - mild, but very long, effervescent, minty, with more of the pine and tree sap, but also some anise. It has no burn going down, only being strong on the palate, with spices. Let's be honest, it is not something you could drink everyday, or you would reach for very often, but it is so oily, with excellent mouthfeel, complex yet bright, with such unique notes and aromas...if anybody is looking for something very similar and perhaps easier to find, especially in Nordic countries, there is the Løitens Aquvit Likør...so unbelievably close in flavour profile to the green Chartreuse.

Smell: fennel, licorice, ethanol (55% Alcohol will do that), menthol, anise, clove Neat: white sugar (like dissolving), anise, fennel, licorice, mint/menthol, vanilla?, heat (higher proof), wormwood (leaves mouth dry like absinthe), cinnamon, On Ice: vanilla, white sugar, menthol, clove, anise, fennel, licorice, cinnamon, Verdict: Share it, this is a delicious herbal liqueur that I have never had anything like it. I jokingly say that Absinthe wishes that it tasted and looked like Green Chartreuse. For those that are interested in exploring Absinthe, I 100% recommend getting and trying this liqueur out to see if you may like the flavor profiles, though I do warn that absinthe won’t be nearly as sweet as Green Chartreuse is. I have made fantastic drinks with this bottle, and I cannot recommend enough to get this and share it with friends to see if they pick up any flavors that you missed since there are at least 130 different ingredients/botanicals in this bottle.