Whisky stones

[Bluffhunter]

Does anybody use whisky stones and what is a good kind to buy? Stainless steel, soapstone rocks?

[tanstaafl2]

It gets discussed periodically. There are a few past threads.

I think the general consensus is that they probably won't hurt anything but aren't worth the bother.

[CorvallisCracker]

Friends who know you're into bourbon think these things are the perfect gift for you. We've been saving them up over the years and last year used them to repave the driveway.

[Tucker]

I've never used them and don't plan to, but this article provides a pretty good comparison of the types...

http://coolmaterial.com/feature/we-tested-a-bunch-of-whiskey-stones-to-see-which-were-the-best/

[CorvallisCracker]

By the way, it's just a matter of time before one of the mods moves this to the paraphernalia forum.

[Enoch]

I have several sets. The soapstone ones are ok is you want a slight cooling. The stainless steel ones are about the same. The gel filled stainless ones are best. Cool as good as ice without diluting. My wife uses them to cool her chardoney when we forget to put a new bottles in the fridge. You don't want to put soapstone in anything but whiskey.

[smokinjoe]

Generally, I have found them all to suck.

[Grain Belt]

This thread reminds me of a saying from the rural area I come from that I hope does not offend, but here goes, "Worthless as tits on a boar."

[garbanzobean]

I wanted to like the ones I bought. Unfortunately, it turns out that if I want my whisky cold (and this is extremely rare), I prefer it with ice. I don't really know what to do with them at this point. I guess throw them out in the backyard, since they're rocks.

[Fort Knox]

As others have said, they're mostly a useless novelty. I have a set that a friend bought me for Christmas. Tried them a couple times, but they barely cooled the whiskey any, and not for long.

[Paddy]

They're great paperweights!:grin:

[Scotch Neat]

Forget all that BS, if you want your bourbon chilled just find some thick bottom whiskey glasses and leave them in the freezer.

[MauiSon]

Well technically, calling it the latent heat of fusion would be correct (though ambiguous) for water turning to ice, but for ice melting the proper term is latent heat of melting. The reason to use the proper term is to distinguish between melting and sublimation, either of which in the reverse process can be called fusion. [Geek alert]

Edited March 14, 2015 by MauiSon

[ToEOrNotToE]

Well technically, calling it the latent heat of fusion would be correct for water turning to ice, but for ice melting the proper term is latent heat of melting. The reason to use the proper term is to distinguish between melting and sublimation, either of which in the reverse process can be called fusion. [Geek alert]

[MauiSon]

Really? Wikipedia is a poor substitute for an education.

[MauiSon]

See post #14 above and your deleted reply.

Edited March 14, 2015 by MauiSon

[Enoch]

Well technically, calling it the latent heat of fusion would be correct (though ambiguous) for water turning to ice, but for ice melting the proper term is latent heat of melting. The reason to use the proper term is to distinguish between melting and sublimation, either of which in the reverse process can be called fusion. [Geek alert]

I think this is why the gel filled stainless ones work best. The liquid center freezes and then melts like the blue freezer packs without releasing anything into the whiskey.

[Flyfish]

I think the general consensus is that they probably won't hurt anything....

Except your front teeth.

[BigBoldBully]

I am finding a little too much latent heat in this thread.

[Harry in WashDC]

ToEornottoE & Mauison - Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My last class involving enthalpy was Thermodynamics in 1965. RE: whiskey stones - I used a soapstone set I was given several times but concluded they were not as "efficient" as ice cubes. OTOH, they didn't dilute the bourbon like ice cubes did. Then, a special somebody gave me a glass with an ersatz Plimsoll Line on it which, when I used the ice ball from the accompanying ice ball maker, allowed me to add exactly two ounces of whiskey when I stopped filling at the line; the ice ball cooled without too much undesirable diluting (I usually finish the bourbon before the ice ball melts a lot). I only use that glass/ice ball combo in high Summer when I have to satisfy my bourbon craving and I'm outside. I have no idea where the stones in their little bag went.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Harry in WashDC
atrocious sentence construction fixing

[ebo]

My mother gave me some for Christmas last year. She knows I love my whisk(e)y. I thanked her and told her I appreciated them. They came with two nice little glasses that are the perfect size. I use the glasses regularly but, I have yet to try the stones...lol. I prefer my pour neat and room temp.

[r60slash5]

I got a set as a gift. I don't like them. They make the whiskey taste like cement.

Ted

[BigBoldBully]

I got a set as a gift. I don't like them. They make the whiskey taste like cement.

Ted

[DBM]

Generally, I have found them all to suck.

[scubadoo97]

They do nothing to enhance the whiskey and are a distraction