Pages Verveine du Velay Jaune (Gelb) Liqueur

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 40% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The yellow Verveine du Velay from Pagès combines lemon verbena with other plants, spices and honey. Bottled at 40%, it has a softer, sweeter character than the green version. Its yellow colour comes from the plant ingredients and honey; no colouring is added.

Production involves several distinct stages. First, plants and spices macerate in neutral alcohol for nine months. The mixture is then distilled in copper alembics over roughly 17 hours, with mace added directly to the still. Before bottling, the liqueur matures in oak casks for at least twelve months. These heavily used casks have capacities ranging from 1,000 to 2500 litres.

The liqueur can be enjoyed neat at room temperature or over ice. In cocktails, its herbal, honey-led character pairs well with Cognac and red vermouth, for example, or with rye whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, herbal aromas mingle with a floral bouquet and fresh honey.
• Palate: The liqueur feels warm, rounded and soft on the palate. Floral notes and dried plants appear first, followed by gentle, sweetish spices. Woody and amber-like impressions add to the flavour. Honey accompanies the verbena and gives the opening a creamy smoothness. Wildflowers, orange peel and a hint of vanilla add further notes. The texture is more syrupy and oily than that of the green Verveine du Velay.
• Finish: The finish leaves a gentle impression of herbal tea with honey. It is less spicy than that of the green version.

Distillery/Bottler:

The history of Distillerie Pagès is closely linked to Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne. It was there that pharmacist and herbalist Joseph Rumillet-Charretier developed Verveine du Velay in 1859. His cousin Victor Pagès took over the family business in 1886 and gave it his name. Today, the distillery is located in Saint-Germain-Laprade, near Le Puy-en-Velay.

Pagès grows its own lemon verbena. The plants are planted in June and harvested before the first frosts. After drying in the dark, the leaves are stripped off by hand. The secret recipe for Verveine du Velay also includes mace, juniper berries, genepi, star anise, cardamom, coriander, gentian root and thyme, among other ingredients. Plant residues from distillation are composted and returned to the garden.

Facts: