Marks & Spencer Irish Cream Liqueur €13 for 700ml, €18.57 per litre Highs: This is a smooth-tasting and incredibly creamy liqueur with quite a strong coffee flavour.

While it is unlikely to be given as a Christmas gift or produced with a flourish at a party, it is quite nice and comparatively good value. Although it is just 17 per cent proof, it has a hefty spirit hit and a definite hint of whiskey, which M&S promises has been triple-distilled and aged - although why the company went to so much bother when it planned to lash the result into a vast amount of cream, sugar and flavourings is anyone's guess.

Lows: It is too creamy, and drinking more than one glass would require a superhuman effort. We were also unsure which corner of the market it was aimed at, with its unimaginative swirly branding.

Verdict: Nice and heavy

Star rating: ****

Baileys Irish Cream

€23.11 for 1 litre

Highs: For many people, Christmas is not Christmas unless vast quantities of this hugely popular liqueur are consumed. It smells strongly of coffee and lacks the excessive sweetness to be found in some brands, which makes it very easy to drink.

Lows: A bit too easy to drink, perhaps, and a Bailey's hangover is not something we would recommend. This is the market leader and can get away with charging significantly more than the competition - but even so, €23 per litre seems incredibly expensive to us. We'd like to have been told what went into this product, but Baileys' hasn't bothered with an ingredients list (although, for some inexplicable reason, it has devoted quite a bit of space on the label to the nutritional content).

Verdict: Overpriced but familiar

Star rating: ***

O'Mara's Irish Country Cream

€6.79 for 700ml, €9.70 per litre

Highs: This is the cheapest of the cream liqueurs we found and was so much cheaper than the rest that we approached it with considerable trepidation, a nervousness not helped by the bottle's promise of a "special blend of fresh cream and selected wine". Wine? Surely not - where's the aged Irish whiskey? It looks and pours with the same gloopiness as the most expensive options, and while it has a much gentler alcohol kick, it's not bad - if you gave it to a guest at a party, they'd be unlikely to pour it into a plant pot. It also goes nicely with ice-cream.

Lows: It is clearly aimed at an American market, with all the talk on the bottle of it being made with "the sweetest, richest cream in all of Ireland". Hmm, we doubt that claim would stand up to scrutiny.

Verdict: Very cheap and not horrible

Star rating: ***

Carolans Irish Cream

€15.99 for 700ml, €22.84 per litre

Highs: This might just be the Goldilocks option. It is creamy without being excessively heavy, sweet but not cloyingly so, and the spirit levels are just right. There is a distinct honey flavour that we were partial to and, bizarrely, it has a fresh taste even though it is anything but. A couple of sips of the other liqueurs was enough for Pricewatch, but with this, we actually finished the glass. Bailey's might well be the original Irish cream, but in our opinion, this upstart has stolen its crown.

Lows: It might have an image problem. Everyone knows Baileys, and it's easy to find or order. This is more problematic, as asking for "a glass of Carolans" in your local bar might feel a little precious. Despite being owned by C&C, it does not seem to be as widely available either.

Verdict: This cream rises to the top

Star rating: ****

Queen Margot Traditional Cream Liqueur

€9.99 for 710ml, €14.07 per litre

Highs: We decided not to be insular and went in search of a cream liqueur from outside Ireland, happening upon this "traditional" German offering in our local Lidl. It has a rich, dark colour and a complex coffee flavour which lingers long on the palate. It certainly is cheap, and the Scotch whisky gives it a slightly more powerful flavour than the more familiar Irish alternatives.

Lows: The rich colour comes courtesy of the caramel colouring rather than any natural infusion of the ingredients, which is a pity. The alcohol flavours might be just a little too overpowering for gentle souls - they were certainly too much for Pricewatch - and claims that this is is a traditional cream liqueur seem to be stretching it a little.

Verdict: Too strong

Star rating: **