'I compared Baileys with supermarket versions including Sainsbury's and Lidl'

Oh, Baileys, Baileys, Baileys. It's a tipple and a dessert rolled in one, surely one of our best-loved party drinks. If the sheer range of Baileys special flavours on supermarket shelves is anything to go by, it undoubtedly is the centrepiece in the arsenal of liqueurs, spirits and cocktail mixers that we're expected to load up into our drinks cabinet before December 25.

It's also the perfect prop for Christmas, enough to melt the froideur of any guest as they enter the room and see it on the table. Even for those who don't like the drink, there's something to warm the cockles of your heart seeing a big, fat bottle of Baileys ready to be tipped into tumblers, with its red branding and nostalgic, old illustration plastered over the bottle. It's warm, it's inviting and it's party time.

The mystery of Baileys' ingredients is something the brand prides itself on. Perhaps only Coca Cola guards its recipe with such an iron wall. It's no surprise most supermarkets have tried to cash in on Baileys' popularity with their own take on the Irish crème liqueur. But are they as good? Do they have the same panache as Baileys' hidden ingredients? This week I sample Baileys alongside supermarket own brands from Sainsbury's and Lidl, plus a less expensive liqueur - Carthy's - to see which comes out on top.

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Baileys

We start off with the gold standard. Fans of Baileys truly love the liqueur, described as 'the sweetest meeting of fine Irish whiskey and spirits, Irish dairy cream, rich chocolate and vanilla flavours' and it's not hard to see why. Yes, it's sweet and a bit of a dessert, you have to be on board with that in the first place in order to appreciate the bevy. It's got a full-bodied flavour, with a kind of malted, nutty bass that makes up for the chocolatey sweetness. The whiskey gives it a kick in just the right place without being harsh or ruining its smoothness. Irish creme liqueur is not for everybody but this is the baseline for those who love it.

Rating: 5/5

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's own version of Irish creme liqueur has a lot to commend it at a glance. Just several pounds cheaper than Bailey's, it's not cheap and it boasts a 17 per cent ABV equal to the real deal. Pouring it into a tumbler is just as satisfying, it has the same thickness and pours slowly in a glass. The aroma is promising, I get hints of chocolate and coffee. And the taste? Actually, it's quite underwhelming after a lot of build-up. Yes, it's like a milkshake, but it lacks the nutty bassline that gives Baileys its full-bodied flavour. And the whiskey shot is quite harsh, it doesn't meld nicely at all with the rest of this milky, quite insipid drink.

Rating: 2/5

Lidl

Lidl's Deluxe Irish Creme Liqueur appears in a similar vein to Sainsbury's own brand. It's also 17 per cent ABV and pours just as thickly as Baileys. As for the aroma? It's not hinting at much and I fear this may be another disappointing swig. But actually, oh the taste has a hidden yield that you'd never suspect from the limp aroma. If it's not exactly Baileys, it's 95 per cent of the way there - it's got depth, a bit of malted bass that counters the chocolate sweetness. And the punch of the whisky is just as smooth as Baileys. If you're looking for a good supermarket knockoff, this is the one to try.

Rating: 4/5

Carthy's

There is an alternative budget Irish creme liqueur - Carthy's - which you might see on the shelves of Tesco or Morrisons that's priced well below the retail value of Bailey's. As not every supermarket has its own knockoff, it seemed only right to include Carthy's in my sampling. The first thing I notice is how thin and watery it is. It seems to chug out of the bottle at speed instead of the slow ooze of the others. The aroma is quite strong, it's like shredded wheat cereal. As for the taste? It's every bit as coarse, very much like wheat or hay - it's not indulgent in the least. I have quite a robust palate so I finish off my dram, but I'd never ever have another one. Yak!

Rating: 1/5

And the winner is...

Oh, I hesitate. There's nothing quite like Baileys original but Lidl's Deluxe Liqueur is such a good, unexpectedly close competitor, I'd absolutely recommend fans of Baileys try it if they're looking to save a few quid here and there. Baileys is great at Christmas or for dinner parties but if you're a fan of the tipple as a casual home drinker, there's no reason why Lidl's Deluxe Liqueur wouldn't satisfy your taste buds when you're curled up on the sofa.

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