The　contents　of　higher　alcohols　(HAs)　and　volatile　components　produced　by　microbial　metabolism　largely　determine　the　drinking　comfort　and　flavor　quality　of　Hongqu　rice　wine.　The　purpose　of　this　study　was　to　compare　the　differences　of　volatile　flavor　profile　and　microbial　community　in　the　brewing　process　of　Hongqu　rice　wines　with　low　and　high　HAs　content　(LHA　and　HHA).　The　results　showed　that　the　main　HAs　in　Hongqu　rice　wine　were　isobututyl　alcohol,　isoamyl　alcohol,　phenylethyl　alcohol,　and　the　total　content　of　HAs　in　HHA　(749.07　+/-　20.47　mg/L)　was　much　higher　than　that　in　LHA　(407.61　+/-　20.80　mg/L).　Multivariate　statistical　analysis　and　visuali-zation　showed　that　the　volatile　flavor　characteristics　of　HHA　and　LHA　were　significantly　different,　and　the　contents　of　ethyl　esters,　medium-and　long-chain　fatty　acids　in　HHA　were　higher　than　those　in　LHA.　Microbiome　analysis　based　on　metagenomic　sequencing　indicated　that　fermentation　starter　has　significant　effect　on　the　composition　of　microbial　community　during　Hongqu　rice　wine　brewing.　Microbial　species　such　as　Cronobacter　sakazakii,　Weissella　paramesenteroides,　Klebsiella　pneumoniae,　Aspergillus　niger,　Millerozyma　farinosa　and　Rhizopus　delemar　were　significantly　enriched　in　HHA　brewing,　while　Pediococcus　pentosaceus,　Lactobacillus　curvatus,　Leu-conostoc　pseudomesenteroides　and　Leuconostoc　mesenteroides　were　significantly　enriched　in　LHA　brewing.　Furthermore,　the　potential　relationships　between　the　key　microbial　species　and　characteristic　volatile　compo-nents　were　revealed　through　correlation　heatmap　analysis.　Bioinformatical　analysis　revealed　that　the　abundances　of　microbial　genes　encoding　enzymes　involved　in　HAs　metabolism　were　higher　in　HHA　than　LHA,　but　the　gene　abundance　of　phenylacetaldehyde　dehydrogenase　in　LHA　was　significantly　higher　than　that　in　HHA,　which　could　limit　the　formation　of　HAs　during　Hongqu　rice　wine　brewing.　Collectively,　this　study　provides　important　scientific　data　for　enhancing　the　flavor　quality　of　Hongqu　rice　wine,　and　lays　a　solid　foundation　for　the　healthy　devel-opment　of　Hongqu　rice　wine　industry.