I haven't brewed any beers, but have brewed my own hard cider. It comes out very crisp, not like the overly sweet commercial ciders. The process is fairly simple, but takes 4 weeks to produce a batch.
I use a 3 gal carboy for the fermentation cycle which makes 40 12-oz bottles. It's a stretch to make 40 bottles last a month until the next batch is ready.
I've had some great hard ciders while traveling out of Utah, however the selection even at the DABC is quite limited.
I've brewed a few batches. Best: pale ale; worst: a failed batch of pale ale. Intersting and not to bad: black and tan--fancy name on the package . . . Tasted like a typical porter.
Perennial problem: the steeping and boiling make the house stink . . . Wife pissed!
I fear the label led you astray. A black and tan is a beer cocktail made by layering a dark (usually a stout) over a light beer. You can't just brew one beer and call it a black and tan.
My girlfriend and I brewed a chocolate stout last year with the help of "Lets Brew" on Stark st in Portland. Super nice people and had a great time. We were just talking about doing it again and trying it ourselves at home. We have purchased what we didn't already have but thought we would go through them one more time. Was a lot of fun...
I have a "Fresh Squeezed" clone fermenting right now. I'm still pretty new at all grain brewing, so nothing fancy or out of the ordinary as of yet. I need to get a solid handle on the process before branching out. This one does have a dry hop addition 5 days post fermentation, and that's a first for me!
My husband is an exmo who brews beer. He hasn't made any since we moved back to Germany, but I think my favorite one by him was a Scottish cocoa stout he made.
We didn't bring his equipment because home brewing used to be illegal here, but it no longer is. Maybe it's time he picked up the habit again.