Drum (tobacco)

Drum is a brand of fine-cut handrolling tobacco, or shag. It was originally produced and distributed by the Dutch Douwe Egberts corporation. Douwe Egberts was purchased by the Sara Lee Corporation, which sold Drum to Imperial Tobacco, the current British producer. After Douwe Egberts discontinued Drum in the USA, Republic Tobacco of Glenview, Illinois, began making its own version of Drum for distribution in the United States, usually sold accompanied by a package of JOB rolling papers. Both versions are considered halfzware (Dutch for "half-strength") type tobaccos, although the flavors and cuts are not the same due to different methods of curing. Halfzware usually indicates a combination of dark Kentucky burley and bright Virginia tobaccos. Imperial also produces Drum in gold (blonde) and light (mild) varieties. Drum's main competitor in the US is Bali Shag rolling tobacco.

The two versions of Drum are made in different locations and have different sensory properties. European Drum is barrel-cured in the Netherlands using a centuries-old process, whereas the American version is made at the Top Tobacco factory in North Carolina.

Drum is worldwide the #1 brand for shag tobacco. Before Sara Lee sold their Drum and Van Nelle tobacco section to Imperial the main factories for Drum were Drachten and Joure. The factory in Drachten was closed directly after the move to Imperial in 1989 and IT decided to further integrate the production within Douwe Egberts / Van Nelle (DEVN) which also had production facilities in the nearby Joure (30 km) and Meppel (60 km). IT invested 22 million guilders (€10 million) in new machinery for the remaining locations. Drum Tobacco is also produced outside the Netherlands in several factories of the Imperial Tobacco group.

Unlike in the US, shag-tobacco, including Drum does not include rolling papers. An exception to this is Ireland: when you buy a pouch (12.5 or 25 gram) it comes without papers, but when you buy a box containing a paper wrapper with 12.5 gram tobacco it comes with papers; while box including papers is cheaper than the pouch without. But the type of tobacco in the pouch is different: the cut is rougher and is not as dry as the "wrapper". You get Job papers in the United States in 25g pouches.

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