Scientists from Finland and Germany devoted themselves to analyzing bottles of beer from the year 1840.
A ship, which name and destination remain a mystery, sank in the 1840s in the middle of the Baltic Sea, Aland Islands coast, Finland was first recognized in 2010. On board were luxurious goods that included more than a hundred bottles of champagne and a few bottles of liquid that looked more like beers, the Telegraph reported.
The group of scientists, who were from Finland's Technical Research Centre and Munich's Technical University, tested two bottles of beer to be able to record its similarities with the modern lagers and ales. Seawater has gotten inside the bottles through the years; hence, the scientists could not get the same aroma and flavor the sailors back then might have experienced.
These researchers have described the beer to have the unpleasant smell of over-ripe cheese, burnt rubber, Bakelite, dimethyl sulfide, and autolyzed yeast, with the taste of soured, goaty, vinegary milk, the Agricultural and Food Chemistry Journal published.
Through analyzing the liquid's chemical components, the scientists revealed that the bottles were not far from the modern-day beers. Both were acidic with a pH reading of approximately 1 unit below the modern standard values, while its color was comparable to today's lager and ales. Its alcohol content was a little lower than that of today's beer because of saltwater dilution; however, its glucose level was higher because of "deliberate sweeting" commonly practiced in the 19th century.
Although it's undrinkable, beer fans who want to get a sample of the 19th century taste can do so because a Finnish brewery has a modern version of it.