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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
In 1840, the Carthusian monks introduced a sweeter, milder companion to their famous green elixir — a liqueur inspired by their original Élixir Végétal recipe, distinguished by its golden hue and its gentler, more honeyed character. It proved so popular that Father Garnier, the monk responsible for liqueur production at the time, gave it an official name and registered the Chartreuse trademark in 1852. Yellow Chartreuse has carried that name, and that recipe, ever since — produced from the same secret formula of 130 plants, flowers, bark, roots, and spices as its green sibling, but through a meaningfully different production process that yields something altogether softer and more golden.
V.E.P. — Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé — was first introduced in 1963, applying the same exceptional patience to Yellow Chartreuse that the monks had already begun applying to the green expression. Specific batches are selected and set aside to mature for a minimum of eight years in oak demi-muids — vessels that, over that extended span, soften the spirit's character even further while deepening its complexity. The effect of that aging is distinctive: as the liqueur matures, its honey character intensifies, even nudging the ABV upward slightly from the standard yellow expression, a quiet signature of just how much the wood and the years contribute to the final spirit.
Wine Enthusiast awarded Chartreuse VEP Yellow 98 Points: "extra-aged Yellow Chartreuse. Prickly scents of bramble, fennel, and licorice are followed by a supple sweetness. Palate is floral, with sage, saffron, elderberry, anise, licorice, flowers, and thyme. Finishes elegantly, softer and divinely satisfying." Each bottle is a faithful reproduction of the original 1840 design — cork-stoppered, wax-sealed, individually numbered, and presented in a wooden box branded with the symbol of the Carthusian Order. This is Yellow Chartreuse's pinnacle expression: golden, honeyed, and aged with a patience that few liqueurs anywhere attempt to match.
Yellow Chartreuse was created in 1840 by the Carthusian monks, inspired by their original Élixir Végétal de la Grande Chartreuse recipe dating to 1764. Its popularity led Father Garnier — the monk overseeing liqueur production — to formally name it Chartreuse Jaune and register the Chartreuse trademark in 1852. Like its green counterpart, Yellow Chartreuse is produced from a secret formula of 130 plants, flowers, bark, roots, and spices, the recipe known in its entirety to only a handful of Carthusian monks at any given time. Its production differs meaningfully from Green Chartreuse, requiring several distinct weeks-long stages: grinding of the plants by the monks themselves in the plant room at the Grande Chartreuse monastery, distillation to extract the aromatic compounds, and multiple stages of maceration that draw out both the active botanical ingredients and the liqueur's natural golden color.
Production takes place at the Aiguenoire distillery in Entre-deux-Guiers, in the Isère department of the French Alps. The V.E.P. designation — introduced in 1963 as a registered trademark specific to Chartreuse — represents the monks' selection of particular batches of Yellow Chartreuse for extended maturation of at least eight years in oak vats, far beyond the standard expression's aging. That extended time in wood softens the liqueur's character considerably while deepening its complexity, and the honey notes that develop during this prolonged aging are pronounced enough that VEP Yellow is bottled at a slightly higher proof than the standard expression — 42% ABV compared to the standard's 40%.
Every bottle replicates the design used in 1840: a cork stopper, a wax-sealed back label, an individually numbered bottle, and a wooden box branded with the Carthusian Order's symbol. Production remains, as with every Chartreuse expression, extremely limited — both due to the lengthy aging requirement and the monks' broader 2019 decision to cap total Chartreuse production at 1.6 million bottles annually in order to preserve their primary vocation of prayer and solitude.
Wine Enthusiast — 98 Points:
"Extra-aged Yellow Chartreuse. Prickly scents of bramble, fennel, and licorice are followed by a supple sweetness. Palate is floral, with sage, saffron, elderberry, anise, licorice, flowers, and thyme. Finishes elegantly, softer and divinely satisfying."
San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
Double Gold Medal (2007) · Silver Medal (2008)
Difford's Guide (confirmed):
"Herbal forest floor nose sprinkled with black peppery alcohol. Génépi, basil, lemon thyme and mint with pinecone woody aromas. The wonderfully complex honeyed-silky palate has minty freshness, rooty notes and is mellow yet with grippy alcohol bite. Herbal honey finish with minty freshness."
Nose
Clear gold with green undertones — the color deepened by years in oak alongside the saffron and honey naturally present in the recipe. Prickly scents of bramble, fennel, and licorice open the aromatic profile, followed by a supple sweetness. Génépi, basil, lemon thyme, and mint add herbal lift, with pinecone-like woody aromas from the extended cask aging tying everything together.
Palate
Floral and richly complex, with sage, saffron, elderberry, anise, licorice, flowers, and thyme layered throughout. The entry is thick and honey-like, almost a light herbal syrup, with intense honey, floral, and citrus notes building through the mid-palate. Minty freshness and rooty undertones add depth, the liqueur mellow yet carrying a grippy alcohol bite that confirms its genuine strength beneath the sweetness.
Finish
Elegant, softer, and divinely satisfying — Wine Enthusiast's own words capture it best. A herbal honey finish with lingering minty freshness and a saffron, herb, and citrus-tinged close.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Herbal Liqueur — Exceptionally Aged |
| ABV / Proof | 42% ABV / 84 Proof |
| Producer | Carthusian Monks — Chartreuse Diffusion |
| Distillery | Aiguenoire, Entre-deux-Guiers, Isère, France |
| Yellow Chartreuse Created | 1840 — inspired by the 1764 Élixir Végétal recipe |
| Officially Named & Trademarked | 1852, by Father Garnier |
| VEP Designation | Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé — introduced 1963 |
| Botanicals | 130 plants, flowers, bark, roots, and spices — secret recipe |
| Aging | Minimum 8 years in oak vats (demi-muids) |
| vs. Standard Yellow | Higher proof (42% vs 40%), more pronounced honey character, more complex |
| Bottle Design | Reproduction of the original 1840 bottle |
| Packaging | Cork stopper, wax-sealed, individually numbered, wooden box with Carthusian Order symbol |
| Critics | Wine Enthusiast 98 Points · SF World Spirits Double Gold (2007) |
| Rarity | Extremely limited annual release |
| Style / Identity | The pinnacle of Yellow Chartreuse — golden, honeyed, deeply complex |
| Aromas & Flavors | Honey, saffron, fennel, licorice, sage, elderberry, anise, thyme, bramble, mint |
| Bottle Size | 1L |
Best enjoyed neat, at room temperature or slightly chilled, in a small tulip glass to concentrate the aromas. Each sip reveals different notes depending on temperature and time spent in the glass. While precious enough to savor on its own, VEP Yellow can elevate cocktails that call for standard Yellow Chartreuse — a Widow's Kiss made with VEP gains considerably more depth and a longer, more elegant finish.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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