Do You Have The Stones For Your Whiskey?

Bless whiskey - whisky…? tastings. They are the life equivalent of teeth brushing lessons age primary tooth. Whiskey, that is good whiskey, costs a certain amount of money and is therefore expected to be a certain kind of experience for the drinker, more so a connoisseur. You would be surprised how much debate is involved in its drinking. To ice or not to ice? Get your rocks off versus use a whiskey mould. Whatever is a man to do?

- Carol Odero

As it so happens, like every other simple choice in your life this one is riddled with confounding tentacles. Everyone knows, and if you did not you are about to find out, not all stones are created equal and some are made in China. Infact, yourbestdigs.com went as far as listing the seven best whiskey stones. Here are the big boys.

1. Balls of Steel

2. Kollea Stainless Steel Chilling Cubes

3. Teroforma Whiskey Stones

4. Great White Ice Whiskey Stones

5. Soapstone Whiskey Stones by Spirit Stones

6. Sipping Stone Whiskey Chilling Rocks

7. Maker’s Mark Whisky Disk

Whiskey stones are made out of soapstone, with smoothed out edges so as not to scratch your glass. Chilled for at least four hours before use, they replace ice, chilling your drink by dropping the temperature without diluting it. That being said, whiskey stones can be made out of steel which releases gel slowly for ultimate cool. These stones are the very soul of minimalism; small, clean cut geometric beauties with an unmistakably neutral hue usually grey, increasingly silver, occasionally white. Square or rounded, the most recent innovation in whiskey stones are much bigger and golf-ball sized. Bigger is mistakenly believed to be better. Size can factor in, bumping up against the teeth, getting in the way of a good drink. But, the best thing about whiskey stones, they come in a set. As the whiskey grows warmer and fiery, you can simply to up with another stone. Why else would they be 6, 9 or 12 if it was not meant to be scotch on the rocks? Tasteless, odourless and FDA-approved, they last a lifetime. Hence engraved stones in a bespoke set making the perfect gift. If your woman is a wine lover, keep her away from your stones. Gift her a set of wine pearls instead.