The Sipp London team had the pleasure of attending the Gaucho International Polo tournament, as guests of Scotch Whisky distillery, Auchentoshan. The match, held at the O2 Arena, pits the English team against the mighty Argentinians, who were fired up and looking for revenge after England lifted the Churchill Cup last year.

Argentina raced to a four-goal lead, but the determined English steadily clawed back. The climax was a nail-biting finish, that saw the teams reach the end of regular time at 15 points apiece, sending the match to penalties. Argentinian Nacho Figueras missed his crucial penalty, leaving Jamie Morrison to coolly slot his home and take the glory for the home team.

Although none of us had attended a polo match before, we were impressed by “Arena Polo”, a stripped down version of the sport where smaller teams and pitches makes for an exciting, fast-paced match. It has certainly attracted a good following, as the arena was packed out with curious spectators. We even spotted Denise van Outen and Katie Price amongst the crowd. It was a great night out, and well worth checking out when the tournament returns next year.

The highlight of the night for us was, of course, the whisky, and another chance to taste a Sipp London staple, the Auchentoshan Three Wood. It is a rich whisky that has developed complexity from maturation in three types of cask – American Bourbon, Spanish Oloroso Sherry and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. It has a nose of dark sugar, plums and raisins opening into hazelnut and fruit on the palate. There is also plenty of cinnamon spice and butterscotch sweetness, and persistent oaky notes on the finish. We could drink it all night…and we did!