I opened this bottle at midnight as my toast of choice on 9/11, 20 years hence. When I was a kid in the 80s I used to watch Leave it to Beaver every day after school. It was hilarious especially because a lot of the things Beaver and co. got themselves into was the same type of stuff my friends and I were doing. It resonated. I had marveled that although we were separated by some 30 years, Beaver still seemed real and not too different from me. Then a few years ago I tried to show my kids Leave it to Beaver when it appeared on Netflix briefly. It was unwatchable. The world has changed so much that nothing resonated any more. What does still resonate today? Mr. Rogers. When things are scary, kids, look for the helpers. And then, when you’ve found your courage, be one of the helpers. God bless the Helpers. I wanted something that came from a time before the world changed forever. Before the ubiquity of the internet, before terrorists forced on us endless war without rules. I chose Laphroaig 25. The nose is both a salty sea breeze and a fresh rain on a rocky shore, with some butterscotch for good measure. It lowers the heart rate just to sniff it and meditate for a moment. The palate is full and sweet, salty and smoky. Caramel and Vanilla, stone fruit and kumquat. Smooth but bold, very little bite. The finish is so warm and tingly, it feels like if the helpers keep helping, we’re all going to be alright.