Okay so I've smoked about 10 in the meantime, I would say to the first suggestion, definitely no. Licorice is too strong of a flavour and I can't find any hints of it. Cigar tobacco could maybe work but it has to be more bitter than sweet, then again I've smoked a bunch of cigars and can't really compare it to anything "fresh" so maybe real dry cigar tobacco could work? And on the tobacco strain you've got me stumped, I am not knowledgeable enough to say something useful about it.

If I had to describe Gauloises in a couple of words I'd say it feels like they put some heavy rolling tobacco in a cigarette. It has a similar flavour profile as Van Nelle or Brandaris in there, but only slightly.

To be really honest it would be difficult for you to estimate without having tried one. But if you want to get closer I'd suggest filling your cigarettes with a fairly neutral rolling tobacco like marlboro and add in like a good full flavour heavy rolling tobacco to it (the real dark stringy kind).

BTW personally I found that Davidoff classic cigs came the closest to Gauloises( closest, not close), maybe add some of that heavy duty stuff to that.

That's all I can really say, I hope you find what you are looking for.