Chartreuse : Anisette Tarragone 1978

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Anisette Tarragone 1978 Chartreuse

Tasting

Colour
Having undergone a prolonged ageing process in the attics of the Spanish distillery, this liqueur displays a natural chromatic development. The presence of a slight sediment is the authentic mark of its long maturation under variable temperatures.

Nose
Of great aromatic complexity, the bouquet is dominated by anise-driven spices. Multiple botanical layers then reveal themselves, letting delicate floral and citrus notes emerge, a legacy of the original recipe.

Palate
The botanical structure characteristic of monastic preparations is balanced by the warmth and slight sweetness expected of a liqueur at this strength. The profile reveals secondary flavours resulting from prolonged contact with wood and controlled oxidation.

Food Pairing Tips and Tasting Moments
This historic liqueur is best enjoyed as a contemplative digestif. It should be savoured in modest quantities at the end of a meal, allowing its full aromatic complexity and historical dimension to be appreciated.

Mixology
As an extremely rare collector's item and an exceptional product, it is strongly recommended to enjoy it neat, without any embellishment, so as to respect its integrity and history.

Other Characteristics
With an ABV of 26%, this edition stands out for its singular ageing in attics subject to thermal fluctuations ranging from 3 to 33 degrees Celsius. Authentic bottles bear the Spanish fiscal seal "Hacienda Pública" as well as the signature of Dom Louis Garnier.

A Historic and Ephemeral Spanish Liqueur from Chartreuse

The Age-Old and Spiritual Heritage of Chartreuse
The story of Chartreuse began in 1605 with the delivery of a mysterious manuscript to the Chartreux monks, whose practical formula was finalised in 1737. Crafted from 130 plants, this liqueur is the fruit of an unaltered monastic expertise. Following their expulsion from France in 1903, the monks founded a distillery in Tarragona, giving rise to an exceptional Spanish Liqueur until 1989. Today, production is guided by a philosophy of environmental preservation and voluntary limitation of volumes. The order is currently led by Dom Dysmas de Lassus, while Emmanuel Delafon serves as Chief Executive Officer of the distribution entity. Chartreuse thus remains a work of contemplation, where tradition takes precedence over commercial expansion.

The Enigmatic Anisette Tarragone 1978
The Anisette Tarragone 1978 represents a chapter that is as fascinating as it is fleeting in the distillery's history. Produced exclusively in Spain over a very short period from 1976 to 1980, this Anisette was created to diversify the monastic range. The 1978 vintage marks a major technical evolution: the formula was modified to reach 26 degrees of alcohol, offering a more robust structure than the original version.

The making of this liqueur is based on showcasing anise as the dominant aromatic component, while presumably still relying on the secret base of 130 botanicals. Its unusual ageing in Catalan attics, subject to strong temperature swings, gives it a unique oxidation and interaction with wood.

The premature end of its production is explained by commercial constraints, as the bottling partner of the time, Marie Brizard, saw it as a direct competitor to its own products. Today, this edition has become a true rarity, sought after by collectors the world over for its historical testimony to a bold monastic attempt at innovation.