Edmonton’s newest brewery, Trial and Ale Brewing, is something you likely haven’t seen before. You have seen elements of what they do, but never put together quite in this particular form. Not in this part of the world, anyway.

What am I talking about?

In short, they are devoted exclusively to mixed fermentation, which is an historic approach to brewing experiencing a renaissance in recent years. Mixed fermentation uses a blend of wild yeasts and bacteria (usually in the form of a house blend) to ferment beer in oak barrels. The result is tart, earthy, complex and often sublime.

But wait! There’s more. They are more of a blending house than a brewery. They have a tiny two barrel brewhouse which only produces a fraction of what they make. They contract wort (unfermented beer) from other breweries in town which they then ferment at their brewery. Once the beer is done, 12-24 months later, they blend different barrels to create the flavour profile they are looking for.

Other breweries in this part of Canada do mixed fermentation beer, and many also blend. But I don’t think there is anyone who has decided to do mixed fermentation exclusively.

Further, I have never seen brewery owners who eschew the public eye like they do. They have no tap room. The owners prefer to not be identified in write-ups about their brewery (something which I have chosen to honour as they have been sufficiently forthright with me in private that I trust their intentions). They want to put the beer upfront.

I recently did an edition of my CBC RadioActive column on Trial and Ale. You can listen to it here, if you want more details about the brewery.

Before I get to the beer, my favourite quote from the owners are that they call themselves Trial and Ale is because the “shoot first and aim later”, a reference to the fact they are a bit looser about consistency of the base beer going into the barrel but then dial things in during blending.

As for the beer, they will have three anchor beer/series (as they will vary from edition to edition), with some additional experiments. The flagship is Separated to a Degree, what they call an “approachable mixed ferment” of middle aging time and has just been released for the first time. Then there will be a Brett Saison called A Saison Apparent (expected later this year) and a “long-aged mixed ferment” called A Golden State of Being, which isn’t expected until 2021 sometime, as it needs 18-24 months in the barrel. They will also play around with fruit and other additions to these base beer to see what comes out.

If you listen to the CBC column, you will know we tried some of the first beer on air. Allow me to offer some tasting notes (done the night before on a second bottle) of what I experienced.

It pours hazy dark orange with a tightly gathered white head forming small beads. It looks effervescent and the head lays a thick blanket to create a very attractive start. The aroma is complex, hinting at what is to come. In the aroma I get a soft, rounded tartness backed by a Brett mustiness at first. Light pit fruit of peach and apricot rise in the middle, along with a touch of grainy malt sweetness. The back end of the aroma is dirt floor, like opening the cabin for the first time after winter.

The flavour shows a similar complexity. There is aprickly soft sour at front of my tongue, which becomes more lactic mid-palate. I also find a grainy sweetness upfront that offers a nice balance to the tartness. There are touches of apple, pear, raspberry and peach. I am surprised at how balanced the Brett is, adding a whiff of dank earthiness. I notice the Brett more in the linger – a quiet wall of dustiness.

The sour is complex and soft. There is clearly some lactic, citrusy tartness, but that is balanced by other notes that make it seem multi-dimensional. The finish is surprisingly balanced, tart and moderately sweet at the same time. I note how quickly it forms sweaters on my teeth.

My overall impression is that this is a complex yet subtle beer, offering both a yin and yang to the experience. There is a nice balance of flavours plus a unique sour character comes through. It definitely has a personality.

In terms of a mixed fermentation house, they are in early infancy. Despite years of mixed fermentation experience as homebrewers, they have set out on a daunting path that is not for the faint of heart. I will be curious where they end up in this crazy voyage of theirs.