Yup. It basically becomes a household emergency when we run low. We were out of this and sriracha for a couple weeks. That was a sad, tasteless, time. (Also, it's mentioned in the article)
It used to be spicier and even better before her son took over and changed it to a cheaper chili from another province a few years ago (which wasn't great).
I ended up trying something like 20 different brands looking for an alternative, and my favourites from least to most spicy were: Chuan Lao Hui, Lee Kum Kee, and Wa!, which I actually found even better.
I tried Lao Gan Ma again now that they're back to chilies from the original province, but it still doesn't taste quite the same, I wonder if the sourcing changes caused them to lose their specific cultivar?
Wa! is my absolute favorite chili oil. I put it in and on everything. A simple bowl of rice, with some Wa! (and perhaps an egg), becomes an entire meal.
If you're getting the "fried chili in oil" product, you could look out for the "chili oil with black bean" product they make.
Another option is Fly By Jing's original "sichuan chili crisp" which has a different flavour profile than LGM but is very forward with the douchi / black beans / black soybeans.
It goes great with, eggs, rice and any yogurt dishes.