Suggestions for a 40th birthday ale?

[ElectricLandlord]

It's my 40th birthday next August and I want to have a special beer available to celebrate with. To give myself time to get it sorted, and for it to mature if necessary, I'm thinking about it now and I'm looking for suggestions of styles from you guys. I brewed a barley wine this year so I'd prefer to go for something different.

Anybody out there done something similar? If so, what did you brew?

Cheers.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

You said you already did a barley wine, but I would still stick with something huge that you can age, and have (hopefully) on your 45th, or even your 50th.

You could do a huge belgian, and bottle with brett so the beer changes over the years (if you're into sours),

or you could go the other way, and make a nice balanced session beer that you can enjoy (heavily) with all of your friends on the big day. APA, IPA, brown or something of the like.

[ElectricLandlord]

Thanks for the tips man! I was actually wondering about something funky - I've not made a sour beer yet but I do like a good geuze and I adore Rodenbach Grand Cru.

If I was to do something big, bold & Belgian would you recommend that I bottle condition (with the bugs in the bottle) or stick the bugs in a keg and hide it out of the way somewhere?

As for session beers, I plan to make a series of 1.040 beers to have on the day.

[Steelers&Beer]

russian imperial stout is always nice and ages very well

[Todd]

I turn 40 in April and have been thinking the same thing... the most appropriate beer to make is an Old Ale.

My wife made the prospect of turning 40 even better, we're going to Ireland for 10 days to celebrate and I finally get to see where the hell my family is from, and get drunk in some pubs.

[dunleav1]

I turned 40 this year and since hookers and blow me were out, I went with a high gravity brew I could lay down for a while.
I went with a Russian Imperial Stout

[Bugeater]

For a 40th birthday you should probably brew something that measures 40 Plato (1.179). Huge, but doable. I would go with a massive Wee Heavy myself. Great smooth malty flavor. You can drink glass after glass.........until you try to stand up. I brewed a smaller version a couple years ago (only 1.140) a couple years ago and it disappeared way too fast.

Wayne

[snowcapt]

For a 40th birthday you should probably brew something that measures 40 Plato (1.179). Huge, but doable. I would go with a massive Wee Heavy myself. Great smooth malty flavor. You can drink glass after glass.........until you try to stand up. I brewed a smaller version a couple years ago (only 1.140) a couple years ago and it disappeared way too fast.

Wayne

Recipe, Boog?
Iwas searching for an RIS recipe and this thread popped up.
Going to do 4 gallon batch and do it on the stove. Only weighs in at a measley 1.096, though.