Bailey's scored the lowest in the Sun Online's blind taste test - with Iceland's Irish Meadow coming out on top
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IS IT really Christmas without a bottle of Baileys? But at £12 for a 700ml bottle of the creamy booze, we take a look at some of the cheaper alternatives.
Aldi and Lidl have won over LOTS of shoppers this year but we wanted to see how they fair against supermarket own-brand Irish liqueurs and Baileys.
The Sun Online ran a blind taste test earlier this week and we were surprised to find Baileys came LAST.
Even more shocking...Iceland was the supermarket to win the creamy crown.
The whiskey-based liqueur has been a household favourite since the early 1970s and is usually served after dinner over ice.
Most of the boozy beverages contain between 15 and 20 per cent alcohol which keeps the cream from going off so there's not need for extra preservatives.
But prices can range between anything from £3.75 to £15 and even though the some of the cheaper versions are sweeter on our wallets, they might not taste as good.
We challenged Bailey's lovers at the Sun Online HQ to rate each drink out of 10 and give us their feedback, and Iceland's Irish Meadow came out on top.
And yes, as digital consumer reporter I thought it's only right that I take on the task too, and weighted in on scores. You can hear my verdict in the video above.
Here's our verdict:
At £6 for a 700ml bottle of the liqueur it's half the price of the same size bottle of Baileys.
It does contain less alcohol though with 14.5 per cent, which is 2.5 per cent less than the real deal.
Our taste testers described this one as "smooth", "creamy" but also a little "bitter".
Alex said: "It's not bad. I like it but it has a slightly bitter after taste."
The supermarket own brand came in joint second place with our tasters, who reckon it's got a great "balance" of creaminess to booze.
It's not the cheapest bottle going but it does cost less than the original Baileys.
This bottle of plonk is one of the cheapest ones that we tested and costs only £3.75. When it's poured you can tell it's not as thick as some of the others.
It contains less ABV than the Baileys and it didn't score that great with out testers - a measly 6/10 for this one.
One of our tasters described it as "watery" and another found the liquor taste overpowering.
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The creaminess of this drink is thicker than the Lidl booze and tastes more like toffee than some of the others.
At £7 it's fairly middle of the price range of the ones that we tried so it's still cheaper than Baileys.
It contains the same amount of alcohol as the one from Iceland with 14.5 per cent ABV but scored an average five with our tasters.
Daisy said: "It smells nutty and it's quite strong. It's really smooth to drink."
But it wasn't hit with everyone as another taster reckoned the booze was overpowering.
Asda's bottle of plonk contains the one of the least amount of alcohol among the ones that we tested with only 12 per cent.
Although it was the second cheapest drink we tested, it was rated fairly middle of the road.
This one is definitely creamy but you can hardly taste the alcohol. Our taster Natasha described it as "watery" and reckons you can "definitely tell it's cheaper."
This whopping bottle of plonk from M&S contains a litre and costs £14.49 - which is more expensive than the same size bottle of Baileys which is on offer for £12 from Ocado.
But despite the price tag, it didn't score any better than ones from Aldi and Lidl which cost a quarter of the price.
It's got a strong taste of alcohol which makes it less sweet than some of the others. Joel believes that it tastes "nothing like Baileys".
The original actually came in last place in our blind taste test. Hidden amongst the other brands, the branded version scored a four and a half from our testers who reckon it had a "petrol after taste".
This may be down the fact that it has the most alcohol in it with 17 per cent ABV.
Of course, it depends what you're looking for in your after dinner drink - is it the sweetness or the taste of booze?
Not to be undercut by their budget supermarket competitor Lidl, Aldi's Irish cream liqueur costs the same - but it contains less alcohol at just 12 per cent.
It's not as thick as some of the others and is smooth to taste but the taste of booze kicks you right in the back of the throat.
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative for the festive season, we reckon one from Iceland, Lidl and Tesco could give Bailey's a run for their money.
Iceland was a clear winner with our lot in the office, while Hollie liked the Asda one best.
We were surprised to find that Baileys came last - but then it does have one of the highest amounts of booze.
Plus when you're trying eight different bottles they all sort of start to taste the same towards the end.
Either way, it's worth giving non-branded supermarket alternatives a go, especially if you're watching your wallet.
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