For me first impressions are huge, but I always make an effort to give second chances. This goes for cigars as well as most other things. I try to completely block out any lingering "feelings" towards a brand and try another one. This has paid dividends in the past because some of my favorite smokes were ones that I did not enjoy on the first smoke.
Another thing to keep in mind is sometimes it is the smoker, not the smoke. Depending on what you ate, how you feel, etc. a good smoke can just be bad on a certain day.
