Pagès Verveine du Velay Verte

Product of: France

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Verveine du Velay liqueur is made over an 18-month period according to an ancestral recipe. It blends local verbena with a savoury mix of plants and spices.

It was created in 1859 by Joseph Rumillet-Charretier, an herbalist and apothecary. In 1886, Victor Pagès, Rumillet's cousin, took over the family Distillery to which he gave his name.

The Lemon Verbena used to make Verveine du Velay is grown on the distillery's own site, where it is planted in June and harvested before the frosts of winter. The stems are dried, and then the leaves are removed by hand. The infusions and other preparations involved take 18 months and have three key phases: maceration, distillation in copper pot stills, and a minimum of 12 months of maturation in oak casks.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 06/06/2024

Appearance:

Clear, pale jade.

Aroma:

Pine and herbal with crushed int leaves, zesty citrus and white pepper.

Taste:

Minty fresh with pine, aniseed, herbal complexity and honeyed sweetness countering the high alcohol.

Aftertaste:

Long lingering minty freshness with aniseed-led herbal notes.

Overall:

It's not Chartreuse, but it's not far out of the ballpark, boasting the same lofty alc./vol., similar sweetness and herbal complexity. Pagès Verveine du Velay Verte is also a satisfying and tasty tipple in its own right and would be welcome from a hipflask on a cold day or over ice as a late-night tipple.