Here at the Distillerie Busnel—the largest distiller and one of the oldest in the Pays d'Auge, which by any account produces the finest calvados in Calvados (it's all in the apples)—each such tablespoonful represents as many as 40 varieties of apple. The brandy starts out as cider, is distilled into eau de vie and is then aged into glorious, golden calva in coppered casks that are older than most U.S. cities—in some cases, they've been in use for more than 200 years. (New oak messes with the flavor of the apples.)