The annual Whiskies of the World tasting was last weekend, my first one to attend. This is a pretty big deal, as evidenced by the line of people waiting to get in, which stretched from the Palace Hotel meeting hall where the whiskies were being poured through the lavish main hall of the into the glittering lobby and down another hall. Almost as impressive as the several hundred people who paid over $100 a ticket to taste whiskies was the number of people willing to pay over $100 a ticket to taste whiskies in a kilt.

The tasting hall was filled with whisky purveyors, from the Macallan to Talisker to Woodford Reserve bourbon, each sampling a range of their wares. It was fantastic, but I cannot say that I was prepared for the sheer tour de force display of kilt wearing by SF's whisky enthusiasts. There were so many plaid skirts, bare knees and hiked up socks that at one point I wondered aloud if attendees got a discount for dressing in a Scottish way. Someone heard me and said, no, there was no discount--the kilt display was simply an indication of the levels of geekiness that whisky drinkers will go to. I must say that it makes me feel more secure in describing myself as a wine geek.

Anyhoo, it was a great night. I'll have a little more on the tasting later. Until then, enjoy a few surreptitious photos of scotch geeks in kilts and one other guy so wonderfully costumed that I affectionately dubbed him The Whisky Pirate.