Lighthouse Brewery

Dick Tout from Lighthouse Brewery

From the NZ Craft Beer TV journal entry, 30/1/11: 

Dick Tout is a real character. A smile from ear to ear and a big, manly handshake greet us as we arrive at Lighthouse Brewery in Nelson. The first thing Dick asks us is if we want a beer or a hot drink or a refreshment of some kind. There must be something in the water because Dick also has a real gleam in his eyes. His passion is instantly recognisable and straight away it’s apparent how much Dick loves his job. This is one of the smallest commercial breweries in the country and with a brew kit size of only 200 litres, I’d love to know how many times Dick has brewed on it since beginning in 1996.

He chatted away about brewing, his beers, car racing and his classic cars and boats. A former mechanic, Dick was as passionate about cars and his restoration of a couple of old boats as he was about brewing. We tucked in to the first beer, Summer Breeze, a well-hopped NZ style pilsner with a lovely Saaz hop edge and the finest hint of diacetyl. Dick told us of his worry with the diacetyl that his kit seemed to give the beer but Luke and I disagreed. This was just on flavour threshold and actually added something to the beer. I’m really sensitive to diacetyl, so it was interesting that I really liked this beer. Something about the balance of freshness and bitterness and the tiniest hint of toffee/butter added complexity to this great drop.

Dick’s Cheeky Little Lager was up next, a great, easy drinking example of the style and we sipped our way through his 5.5% Victory Ale with its English character prominent and Dick’s Dark, a rich, malty 4.5% beer with hints of chocolate and equal parts of floral hop and slight roastiness. The great thing about Dick is that he also loves cooking. As he described each beer he told us of his experience of drinking it at home with a meal and discovering how well it worked with the food. From salmon steaks, to Nelson Scallops in garlic butter, through to peppered steak and beef mince dishes, Dick was a wealth of knowledge, interspersing his chatter with jokes and cheeky quips.

My favourite beer of Dick’s was the Classic Stout. This 5% rich, dark, creamy stout had lovely hop notes and had massive flavour for a beer of this strength. Wafts of chocolate were abound and it was an amazing beer to finish the tasting on.

Lighthouse Brewery - Background

History

Owned by Dick Tout, situated in the heart of Nelson, New Zealand, Lighthouse Brewery is the smallest legal brewery in the country.

Having commissioned Lighthouse Brewery in 1996; Dick is now brewing, packaging, bottling and selling the beer from his Echodale Place store, brewing only 200 litres at a time

Dick's beer has won critical acclaim from both national and international beer tasters

Dick would love to show you around the brewery & give you a taste of his Pilsners, Stouts, Lagers and Dark beers. 

Lighthouse Brewery Range of Beers:

Summer Breeze – Pilsener 4.5%

Cheeky Little Lager – 4.5%

Classic Stout – 5%. Deep, dark black with a fine coffee crema head and a ripe bouquet laced with coffee and chocolate and burned Vogel's toast aromas, a dash of fruit and a tang of green hops in the background. Toasty, ripe palate is also touched with a dash of hop herbals that give it a dry character, gently rich and very long. Has full, well-shaped flavours with hints of chocolate and toast to the very end. Classy stuff. 

Dick’s Dark – 4.5%. Deep amber brown with a light, beige head. Roasted, mellow malt bouquet, soft and floral/fruity with a hint of roasted nuts and chocolate. Floral hops in the first mouthful, too, with a ripe, roasted mid palate that has depth and texture as well as moderate weight and a frisk of hops. Lovely balance and condition, with a sense of being a deep, mild ale, with an excellent dry, hoppy, chocolate fringed finish. Delicious beer, beautifully crafted.

Fug Nose – 4%

Haulashore Bitter – 3.8%. Light head on a golden copper beer with fragrant, floral hops aromas nudged by fruity notes, a slight green tang that is almost minty and clear, crisp malt. Impact of hop frisked, malt pure character leads to a firmly flavoured, well weighted mid palate that is supported by strong hop characters and inviting astringency. Big flavoured, firm beer with a long, dry, hoppy finish. 

Nelson’s Victory Ale – 5.5%

Tasman Bay Pilsener – 4.5% Yellow gold with a light, clean head. Sweetly aromatic hop nose with a clean malt note, fresh and bright with a citrus note and a mildly creamy/funky character. Big, crisp palate, full of aromatic hop flavours and bristly textures, lean and dry, with a mineral note at the finish and a touch of creaminess. Perfect, crisp, well-shaped, lingering, tasting beer with a firm, herbal hop end. All class.