The Origin Sandy Cobas didn’t originally set out to manufacture cigars. In 1988, her family started a liquor business in Miami, but when the cigar boom hit, she realized she couldn’t find enough inventory to sell. Her solution was bold: if she couldn’t buy them, she’d make her own. There was just one hiccup—she assumed her alcohol and tobacco license covered manufacturing, until a customer who was a former ATF agent pointed out it was only for selling cigarettes. Despite the licensing scare and a divorce that followed the stress of the new venture, Sandy persevered, eventually establishing her factory in the heart of Little Havana.
The Craft At El Titan de Bronze, they refuse to take shortcuts. While many factories use an assembly line method where pairs of workers split the bunching and wrapping duties, this shop adheres to the traditional Cuban method. Here, a single roller crafts the entire cigar from beginning to end. These artisans are “Level 9” rollers—the highest level of craftsmanship achievable—who began their training in Cuba as teenagers. Manufacturing in the U.S. is expensive and logistically challenging, but they accept the cost to maintain this specific art form.
The Legacy Today, El Titan de Bronze stands out as a successful woman-operated business in a heavily male-dominated industry. Giselle Herrera joined her mother full-time about 10 years ago, wearing every hat from tobacco buyer to blender and quality control manager. After surviving 30 years of business, they have built a deeply loyal team, with many rollers working alongside them for over 15 years. For Giselle and Sandy, the reward is seeing raw leaves transformed into something beautiful that honors their Cuban heritage.
- George Bailey
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