But if one had a 100% perfectly flat mic, and a 100% perfectly flat PA, one's ears would 'distort' it the same way they do as when one is in the room w/an actual amp. I think that's what the OP is shooting for, not reverb or a modeling a 'sense of space'.
You can get bogged down trying to find the perfect mic, position, distance, axis, etc and just think 'dammit, how about NO mic! I just wanna hear the @#$@ cab!'
In fact, that's exactly why I decided to go the modeling/FRFR route myself. I got the tone I was looking for w/a tube amp and a closed back 2x12 cab. For me, it was perfect! Then I tried micing it... and years of tone searching were destroyed. The mic (and placement) was as influential to the overall tone as any cab or pre-amp. Sure, it sounded great in the room but what was caught on 'tape' or in the PA was totally different. That's when I decided I needed a good tone that translated to being reproduced better.