Compilation fails when adding biblatex in the package list

[anates]

Adding \usepackage{biblatex} results in the following log file errors:

! Undefined control sequence.
\blx@checkencoding ...@bibencoding '}}\ifboolexpr
{togl {blx@safeinputenc} a...
l.17 \begin{document}

The control sequence at the end of the top line
of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have
misspelled it (e.g., \hobx'), type I' and the correct
spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue,
and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.

! Argument of @FirstOfTwo has an extra }.

\par
l.17 \begin{document}

I've run across a }' that doesn't seem to match anything. For example, \def\a#1{...}' and \a}' would produce this error. If you simply proceed now, the \par' that
I've just inserted will cause me to report a runaway
argument that might be the root of the problem. But if
your }' was spurious, just type 2' and it will go away.

Runaway argument?
! Paragraph ended before @FirstOfTwo was complete.

\par
l.17 \begin{document}

I suspect you've forgotten a `}', causing me to apply this
control sequence to too much text. How can we recover?
My plan is to forget the whole thing and hope for the best.

! Argument of @secondoftwo has an extra }.

\par
l.17 \begin{document}

I've run across a }' that doesn't seem to match anything. For example, \def\a#1{...}' and \a}' would produce this error. If you simply proceed now, the \par' that
I've just inserted will cause me to report a runaway
argument that might be the root of the problem. But if
your }' was spurious, just type 2' and it will go away.

Runaway argument?
! Paragraph ended before @secondoftwo was complete.

\par
l.17 \begin{document}

I suspect you've forgotten a `}', causing me to apply this
control sequence to too much text. How can we recover?
My plan is to forget the whole thing and hope for the best.
Done in the small example file. How can this be fixed?

[anates]

Fixed, added pull request.