The gin tasted better and the bottle was much more striking. The design on the bottle was a lot more festive too - and would make a great Christmas decoration once finished. This gin was unlike any others we tried, for starters it is a liqueur so by nature is not as strong as your traditional gin and is used as a mixer compared to a spirit. It is once again the battle of Marks & Spencer and Aldi. We all know the saga surrounding Colin and Cuthbert the Caterpillars.

Both would make great Christmas gifts however - and I can see them being popular once again this year. The shiny star, or in this case, Christmas Tree, or the product, was the design of the bottle, in the centre stood a glass Christmas Tree surrounded by floating gold flakes. M&S argued the Cuthbert cake infringed its trademark and "rode on the coat-tails" of its reputation. The intricate pattern used to decorate the bottle has a kaleidoscopic look and helps cast pretty shadows when its lit up. What they taste likeI popped the cork in the bottle and I immediately the sweet smell of clementine's hits you. Gin is my choice of tipple, however one thing that could put you off is the strong smell. But this was much different. Per the brand, Gilded Gin is best enjoyed with “soda water and a slice of orange or alternatively Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic.” Yum. On its own, the gin liqueur isn’t bitter and is nice and fruity but I thought the pomegranate was overshadowed by the cranberry.

When you press the light underneath, the bottle glows a glorious bronze/gold colour - with the light reflecting off the flakes. Moving on to the design of the bottle, it has a simple yet striking look, with berry vines all over and the gins' dark purple colour making it striking amongst any home bar shelf. On its own, I wasn’t a big fan of the clementine taste and thought the cranberry could have been stronger.This year, Marks and Spencer's Light Up Snow Globe Gin Liqueur has been more popular than ever, and where M&S go, Aldi tends to follow. Yes, the budget retailer now has its own version, and of course it comes with an Aldi price tag. I tried the liqueur on its own and was pleasantly surprised. It didn't taste too much of alcohol, more a sweet drink. Furthermore, when it comes to gold in gin, the only other available products are the ever-trendy snow globe gin liqueurs offered by Marks & Spencer and Aldi. These same light-up liqueurs also happed to be at the center of a lengthy legal battle where it was alleged that Aldi copied the design of Marks & Spencer’s holiday product. While certainly dazzling with gold, these are sweet liqueurs with ABVs around 20%. Adding the liqueur to tonic water, I thought it tasted nice, however, a member of the Gin Team said it would taste nicer with some Prosecco, but sadly, there was none nearby. Aldi’s gin was very sweet. Maybe too sweet, but enjoyable nonetheless. Mixed with lemonade the gin was very smooth and flavourful, so much so that it was almost too easy to drink.

If you want to take your Gilded Gin experience to the next level, the brand also sells some exceptionally opulent glasses encrusted with gold diamante. To make it fair, I sampled the gin straight, as well as with lemonade (my choice of mixer). When it was straight the clementine taste was strong, however I still wouldn't be able to drink it straight. However, I wanted to go into this tasting with an open mind so tried my best to leave previous encounters with Sloe Gin behind. M&S has a proud history as a leading British innovator and for over 136 years customers have turned to M&S for unique, original, quality products – conceived, created and developed by us working with our trusted suppliers and produced to the highest standards,” said an M&S spokesman. If there's one thing that we all love in the run up to Christmas, it's all the festive food and drink on sale.

Seashell chocolates

I remember seeing last years versions adorned with trees, snow and reindeers. This year, it does feature Santa's sleigh and reindeers flying over mountains. Come December there’s something about having a glass of wine or gin after work that just gets even more appealing than ever - you’ve got to be prepared for your Christmas do, after all. Our customers have confidence in our products because they trust our quality and sourcing standards, so we will always seek to protect our reputation for freshness, quality, innovation and value – and protect our customers from obvious copies.” The supermarkets have launched their popular Christmas gin liqueur bottles. Both have lights at the base and edible gold flakes within the liquid. The one thing I did think would improve the aesthetic appeal of the bottle is the colour of the light; it's quite a harsh orange shade that isn’t as soft as the M&S one.

There's a reason why the M&S snow globe has been so popular this year, and while it's a good effort from Aldi, overall it tasted a bit too sweet and we weren't as dazzled by the overall appearance of the bottle as we were with the Marks and Spencer version. On just looks, then the M&S bottle is the most attractive to look at. And once finishing the bottles, would make a lovely Christmas decoration. Marks and Spencer’s version arrived on the scene a few years ago, with shoppers desperate to get their hands on the stunning bottle - and others going as far as to collect all the different flavours to create a collection.While the Aldi taste wasn't awful, I would drink it again - but when teamed with a mixer it seemed to lose a little flavour. READ MORE: We tried Christmas candles from Marks and Spencer, Yankee & Home Bargains but only one scored top marks But they are small and right at the bottom of the bottle. You can hardly notice them. Going on looks, M&S was winning slightly here.