‘Daddy Issues’: Sons of Tasmanian whisky royalty strike out on their own

Jack Lark and Louis Duckett, the sons of Tasmanian whisky royalty, have launched their own whisky, cheekily honouring their fathers.

Jack Lark, co--creator of Daddy Issues. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Jack Lark and Louis Duckett, the sons of Tasmanian whisky royalty Bill Lark and Tim Duckett, have launched their first whisky cheekily named “Daddy Issues”.

Calling their limited release a “cry for attention”, Mr Lark and Mr Duckett said they wanted to honour their families legacy but not take themselves too seriously in the process.

“It’s no secret that we sort of grew up in this industry,” Jack Lark said.

Jack Lark and Louis Duckett. Jack is son of Bill Lark and Louis is the son of Tim Duckett who are both big names in the Tasmanian whisky industry. Jack and Louis are now making their own way into the spirit and whisky industry. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“We’ve got parents involved, obviously Lark Distillery on my side and Heartwood, which is an independent bottler for Louis’s dad. So we grew up as friends.”

“Whisky is very much our parents’ scene and although we’re now involved in that industry, we wanted to honor that in a way that was a bit more tongue in cheek.”

Distilling three barrels at Battery Point Distillery five years ago, 484 bottles of “Daddy Issues” are now available at $169 each.

“It’s a limited release, which is nice, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. And it’s just going to be a funny bit of history,” Mr Lark said.

Jack Lark and Louis Duckett, sons of Tasmanian whisky royalty in Bill Lark and Tim Duckett, have launched their first whisky called 'Daddy Issues'. Picture: Ursula Holliday & Golding Creative

“It’s been really great to have it received well and for people to understand the humour behind it. We’ve made a delicious whisky, but we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously.”

As the owners of Local Absinthe, this isn’t the Hobart locals’ first foray into independent bottling.

“Along the way we set up Local Absinthe, which is our absinthe business, and that’s become the thing that’s taken over.”

The bottle, jokingly created to “make our dads proud”, has succeeded in gaining the senior Lark and Duckett stamp of approval.

“Even the parents are on board with it, which is a relief,” Mr Lark said.