Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow French Liqueur Vedrenne 70 cl 40%

High in the hills around Le Puy-en-Velay, lemon verbena has grown since 1785, when the plant first arrived in France. Almost 170 years after the recipe was born, the same herb is still blended with dozens of other plants and spices in the old distillery in Auvergne.

Expert description

Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow is a French Herbal Liqueur made from lemon verbena and a wide range of herbs and spices, bottled at 40%.

The bottle comes from Distillerie Pagès in Saint-Germain-Laprade, close to Le Puy-en-Velay, where the recipe dates back to 1859. It was the herbalist and apothecary Joseph Rumillet-Charretier who first experimented with a liqueur based on local lemon verbena. His cousin Victor Pagès later took over the distillery and gave it his name, and although the company today belongs to the Vedrenne group, the liqueur is still made to the same original recipe.

Yellow is the golden, milder expression in Pagès's verbena range, with the green Verte at 55% as its stronger, more herbal sibling. Yellow is made from lemon verbena together with around thirty other plants and spices, including juniper berries and mace. The botanicals are first macerated, then distilled in copper pot stills, and finally aged in oak casks for up to 18 months before being sweetened with honey. The result is a liqueur with a rounder sweetness than the green expression, closer in style to the sweet, herbal monastery liqueurs than to a classic spiced bitter.

Taste

The nose offers lemon verbena, honey and fresh citrus, with a hint of mint and dried herbs in the background. On the palate it is soft and rounded, the honeyed sweetness carrying citrus and light floral notes, while the many herbs bring a gentle bitterness underneath. The finish is long and warm, with verbena and herbs lingering, closing on a faint spiced note.

Specifications

Name: Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow
Producer/Distillery: Distillerie Pagès
Region/Country: Auvergne, France
Type: French Herbal Liqueur
Main ingredients/Flavourings: Lemon verbena, honey, juniper berries, mace and a range of other herbs and spices
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Production method: Maceration, distillation in copper pot stills and ageing in oak casks for up to 18 months
EAN no.: 3048631106507
Serving suggestion: Best served chilled, over ice as a digestif, or used in cocktails where its sweetness and herbal character add an extra layer. Also pairs well with fruit desserts, lemon tart and dark chocolate.

Flavour profile

Sweet · Herbal · Citrus-fresh · Honeyed · Spiced

Did you know?

Some of the lemon verbena used in the liqueur is still grown by Carmelite nuns at the convent in Vals-près-le-Puy, just a few kilometres from the distillery — a tradition almost as old as the recipe itself.

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Frequently asked questions about Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow

What does Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow taste like?

It tastes of lemon verbena, honey and fresh citrus, with a soft, rounded sweetness held up by a gentle herbal bitterness. The finish is long and spiced, with a hint of mint and dried herbs.

What is the difference between the yellow and green Verveine du Velay?

The Yellow expression is the milder and more rounded of the two. Where the green Verte is bottled at 55% with a sharper, more herbal edge, Yellow is bottled at 40% and sweetened more generously with honey, giving it a softer, more approachable character.

How should Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow be served?

It is best served chilled, either over ice as a digestif after a meal or at room temperature alongside coffee. It also works well in cocktails, where its honeyed sweetness and herbal character can add an extra layer.

What food pairs well with Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow?

It pairs nicely with fruit desserts, lemon tart and dark chocolate, where the sweetness and citrus notes echo the liqueur's own character. Mature cheeses are a good match too, if you prefer more contrast.

What is the history behind Verveine du Velay?

The recipe dates back to 1859, when the herbalist and apothecary Joseph Rumillet-Charretier first made a liqueur from local lemon verbena in Auvergne. His cousin Victor Pagès later took over the distillery and gave it his name, and the liqueur is still produced at the same site today, now under the Vedrenne group.

Is Pages Verveine Du Velay Yellow a rare or limited release?

No, it is a permanent part of the Pagès range rather than a limited edition or collector's bottle.