Chartreuse (dusty?!)

[bmajazz]

I have some very old Chartreuse bottles.. the green variety, with silver cap and tax label, and in ounces rather than metric. They seem to have a deeper, richer "chartreuse" green color than the relatively newer (but still dusty) bottles I have.

Any thoughts? It must be a different process/product because of the color difference, unless the newer bottles somehow faded due to sun exposure.

I have yellow Chartreuse, various vintages, and do not notice the difference there. However, I also notice that some mini bottles are 86 proof, and the other yellow are 80 proof. Did not know they made higher proof in the past, since I cannot find any info on this online.

So, two questions I guess!

Any Chartreuse buffs out there who know?

Thanks,

Andrew

[StraightNoChaser]

I think spirits like Chartreuse and Absinthe, which derive their greenish tint from chlorophyll in the botanicals, change color over time. Like the turning of leaves.

I hope you get that bottle. I would have picked it up in a heart beat.

[White Dog]

I don't have all the answers, but I believe the formula was changed later in the 20th century.

And I have a Bourbon loving friend who goes into shakes when we find tax stamped Chartreuse while dusty hunting. He buys every bottle he can find, whether yellow or green.:cool:

[cowdery]

Although straight spirits such as whiskey can stay good in the bottle forever, the same is not true of liqueurs. If you are planning to drink this, tread carefully. You (i.e., your stomach) could get a nasty surprise.

[sutton]

Although straight spirits such as whiskey can stay good in the bottle forever, the same is not true of liqueurs. If you are planning to drink this, tread carefully. You (i.e., your stomach) could get a nasty surprise.

Interesting, Chuck, I didn't know liqueurs could go bad - even in an unopened bottle, older bottles can spoil?

[White Dog]

Although straight spirits such as whiskey can stay good in the bottle forever, the same is not true of liqueurs. If you are planning to drink this, tread carefully. You (i.e., your stomach) could get a nasty surprise.

That's true for most liqueurs, but my dusty green Chartreuse is 110 proof, and drinking wonderfully. At that strength, it can last.

[cowdery]

That's true for most liqueurs, but my dusty green Chartreuse is 110 proof, and drinking wonderfully. At that strength, it can last.

Yes, high proof is crucial. Few liqueurs are that high.

Just be careful, but if it tastes okay, then it's probably okay.

[StraightNoChaser]

High proof and a combination of tannins from the botanical recipe probably make for good preservatives. I know absinthe isn't a liqueur, but it's similar and people are drinking bottles from the 1800s without batting an eye... they just lose an ear or two