I used to buy commercial to figure out the ingredients I prefer, now I make my own and I can adjust to get my flavors right. I love smoked paprika but commercial rubs don't have enough and I can get bulk paprika and smoke myself, I will put on side while smoking pork or steak and that adds a...
Mesquite won't give you color like cherry but it does produce an awesome flavor that works well with game meats and also steaks. Use Mesquite with a dry aged steak, cold smoke for a few hours. Then 250 1 hour then sear.
I make my own espresso rub, I prefer sugar free and all the retail rubs use sugar. I smoke my own sea salt and use cacao and a bit of ground espresso, you can also smoke the peppercorns or peppers or add roasted dried peppers.