Turning crisp

I last checked in at Open Gate in August, when the autumn beer schedule was being drawn up. I promised you doppelbock. They promised me doppelbock. But alas it was not to be: although the beers are almost entirely confined to the taproom, they're subject to the usual stringent Guinness quality controls, and that batch didn't pass. So what else did the turn of the seasons bring?Summer was not quite cold in its grave when the brewery summoned winter with a Sichuan Stout. This is built on the export frame at 5.9% ABV, though it's surprisingly sweet -- much as I love this style in general it's best when it's roasty and bitter. Here, the bitterness is no stronger than mainstream dark chocolate. The texture is a little on the thin side too. I let my cold and fizzy pint flatten and warm for a bit but it didn't get a whole lot fuller. Behind the chocolate lies the pepper, and it's tasted more than felt, adding quite a mild piquancy, one with no real burn. I'm sure that's deliberate and…