I've taken an extended break from homebrewing, doing a batch or three every month took up a lot of time and lead to burnout really quick. Being friends with enough brewers in town has made it easier to sample high quality stuff at very low cost frequently.
Made a few batches of wine, but never had the patience for it to age properly so I can see what it became. The longest I got was about 4 years in the cellar.
Been more on an infusion tip lately, have a stocked bar of baselevel or rotgut liquor improved by adding this and that.
My best is the vititus, a Lithuanian-Baltimore hooch. It can be mean and nasty, it can be sweet and unsuspecting and will leave you feeling like you got hit in the face with a sledgehammer the next day. I only made it around winter solstice, and only then, but I have people offering me up to $50 a bottle for it. Always turn them down.
Really, time has been a big factor in all of my experiments lately. My apprenticeship at the IBEW has been hard work, and with massive studying. If I get a 93% or higher for the year, my books are free. As a 1st year low-wage bitch boy, that money is needed.