As many of us take a last-minute trawl for gifts round the nearest supermarket, cream liqueurs look tempting. Well, to some they do - this is truly a ‘Marmite’ of a drink, dividing the nation into those who love and those who loathe it. More precisely, between those who consider a cream liqueur a rich, indulgent luxury, and those who find it cloying and sickly-sweet. 

If you are in the former camp, or know someone who is, there are plenty of options, from the ubiquitous, best-selling brand Baileys to cheaper own-label Irish creams, to exotically flavoured, unusual, rum-based versions. I tasted 10 cream liqueurs - all poured over a little ice - and found they fell neatly into three groups:

STRONG AND INTENSE

My favourite style - the oak-aged whiskey is noticeable so the cream and sugar is balanced by a more complex, ‘serious’ flavour.

Baileys The Original Irish Cream (widely available, rrp £20/70cl) BEST IN TEST

The most famous brand stands up well in a taste-off against rivals. You can clearly distinguish the whiskey through the rich cream, providing a warming kick to the finish. At 17% it is stronger than some of the cheaper versions. Expensive, though. 

9/10

Specially Selected Irish Cream (Aldi, £6.99/70cl) BEST VALUE

Attractive aromas of vanilla and oaky whiskey here, and a robust flavour, with 17% strength. An appealing, well-balanced cream liqueur at a very decent price. Well done, Aldi. 

8/10

Finest Irish Cream Liqueur (Tesco, £12, down to £8 until 5 Jan/70cl)

With a weighty texture, and quite powerful flavour of spirit and, I thought, hint of hazelnuts, this is also a rich example of its type and weighs in at 17% too. Good.

8/10

Taste the Difference Irish Cream Liqueur (Sainsbury’s, £12 down to £10 until 1 Jan/1 litre)

My notes say ‘full on’ - referring to all aspects - it’s super creamy, strong in spirit and comes in a great big one litre bottle. Not for wimps (relatively speaking - we are talking cream liqueurs here…). Also 17%.

7.5/10

LIGHTER AND SWEETER

These have lower alcohol levels, around 14%, and major on the dairy flavours, sometimes tasting like melted-down Milky Ways or Maltesers. Too unctuous for me, but might suit those with a very sweet tooth. If so, there are some bargains here.

Dundalgan Irish Country Cream (Lidl, £3.99/70cl)

By far the cheapest I sampled, and super-sweet, with very rich caramel/butterscotch notes. There’s not much trace of Irish whiskey in the flavour. 14.5%

5.5/10

Delaney’s Irish Country Cream (Co-op, £5.99/70cl)

Softer and lighter in flavour, lacks intensity but likeable enough in flavour, recalling a cooled-down bed-time malty drink. 14.5%

5.5/10

SPECIAL FLAVOURS

Some of these are seasonal products - all are ridiculously sweet and gloopy. Which doesn’t make them ‘bad’, necessarily, especially at this most indulgent time of year...

Finest Salted Caramel Cream Liqueur (Tesco, £12 down to £8 until 5 Jan/70cl)

Properly salty, strong and very sweet, an interesting oddity, best sipped when it’s very cold, or poured over vanilla ice cream. Won Gold at the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015. 17% alc.

7.5/10

Rum Chata Liqueur (Asda, £10/70cl)

Shouts 80s retro with its opaque white bottle, gold top and Caribbean rum base - a cream liqueur for Club Tropicana. And, 80s girl that I am, I rather liked it - it’s aptly magnolia in hue, with flavours of white chocolate and coconut. A liquid Bounty bar with booze, then. 15%

7/10

Sherry Trifle Cream (Marks & Spencer, £11, down to £9 until 1 Jan/70cl)

A dark ‘buff’ colour, and incredibly sweet, with notes of plump raisins and Maltesers. Somehow that works on a dark, rainy night after carol singing in December. I suspect the appeal is strictly seasonal. 14%

6.5/10

Chocolate Yule Log Cream (Marks & Spencer, £11/70cl)

Dark beige, and tasting like milky hot chocolate (chilled), this is lighter in alcohol than all the others at 12% and mild natured. Bit bland, overall - they could have doubled the chocolatey-ness.

5.5/10.