Unlike its cousin Calvados, American apple brandy doesn’t play by a strict set of rules. Calvados must be produced in the Normandy region of France and must be aged in oak casks for at least two years. For this reason, it’s usually pretty heavy on the wood flavors. American producers, on the other hand, often favor a more natural approach, showcasing the fruit’s inherent apple-ness instead. American apple brandy also typically comes in one of two forms’”those aged in various kinds of barrels, and those that land on the fresh un-aged side of the spectrum typically called eau de vie.