[PobodY]

On a purely thermodynamic basis, doesn't water have a higher latent heat of vaporisation than methanol? On that basis it should absorb more heat from the system; MeOH should cool sooner and faster, but ultimately take less heat to do it?

I'm not arguing with the empirical evidence, but I'm also a chemist (albeit inorganic, so this isn't my area) and what The Alchemist is saying makes sense to me from.