FAQ
What is a saison?
A saison, also known as a farmhouse ale, is a style of beer that is thought to have been made and consumed by farm workers in Belgium and Northern France. It means "season" in French. Saisons are characterised by their unique and diverse culture-driven flavour profile, which often includes a combination of fruity, spicy, and earthy notes.
Why small batch?
Our small batch production makes it possible for us to prioritise quality and sustainability.
Brewing beer in smaller amounts allows us to use organic or regeneratively farmed produce, whole fruit, and oak barrel fermentation. This process, combined with 18-24 month ageing, results in beers that would be too expensive and impractical for large-scale production.
Beyond our brewing practices, we are committed to sustainability in other areas. Our minimal reliance on automation and refrigeration helps to reduce our environmental footprint.
Can you explain barrel ageing?
Our beers are fermented and aged in ex-wine oak barrels. It's crucial that these barrels have already seen several wine vintages; this prevents the oak flavours from overwhelming the beer. The wood itself becomes a living vessel, providing nutrients and micro-oxidation that supports a diverse culture of microbes during long-term storage. This, along with the variety of oak types and barrel shapes we use, allows us to develop a diversity of flavours and fermentation timelines.
Our barrels create a brewer's palette of flavours for blending. Like a painter mixing colours, we carefully blend individual barrels, combining different ages, oak influences, and microbial contributions to create the final beer.
What is a mixed culture beer?
While most modern beers rely on a single, isolated yeast strain, we prefer the tradition of mixed culture fermentation. Think of it as the difference between white bread and sourdough bread. A single yeast culture is like white bread – consistent and predictable, but lacking flavour complexity. Our mixed culture, like sourdough bread, is a living ecosystem, resulting in a depth of flavour you just can't get any other way.
Inspired by how sustainable agriculture uses mixed crops, rotation, and microbial quorum sensing to build soil health, we apply these same principles of complexity and resilience to build character in our beer.
The diversity in our house culture encourages..
- The development of unique, layered flavours,
- Robust fermentations ideally suited to our region, and
- Exceptional product stability.
Each microbe contributes to the flavour, aroma and mouthfeel, each on its own timeline.
This process, which fully consumes all carbohydrates, creates a complex, bone-dry character in our saisons.
What flavours can I expect?
Our beer can exhibit a wide range of flavour and aroma depending on the age of the beer, the barrels used, and which hops and/or fruit were used to make a blend for release. You can generally expect a beer with fruity, spicy, earthy aromas, some tartness and acidity, and the flavour and aroma of any added fruits or herbs. The unique combination of yeast and bacteria strains, coupled with the influence of oak barrels, contributes a rich and diverse flavour profile.
How should I store and serve the beer?
Caldera beers should be stored in cool, stable temperatures preferably in a dark place. Mixed culture beers can be stored for years in ideal conditions. See the best-before dates on specific packages.
Compared to a typical beer, our beers are best enjoyed at slightly warmer temperatures (around 10-13°C) to allow their flavours to fully express themselves. Serve it in a wine glass and we highly recommend pairing with delicious food, and will happily pass on our ideal food/beer pairings!