Hongqu　rice　wine,　a　famous　traditional　fermented　alcoholic　beverage,　is　brewed　with　traditional　Hongqu　(mainly　including　Gutian　Qu　and　Wuyi　Qu).　This　study　aimed　to　compare　the　microbial　communities　and　metabolic　profiles　in　the　traditional　brewing　of　Hongqu　rice　wines　fermented　with　Gutian　Qu　and　Wuyi　Qu.　Compared　with　Hongqu　rice　wine　fermented　with　Wuyi　Qu　(WY),　Hongqu　rice　wine　fermented　with　Gutian　Qu　(GT)　exhibited　higher　levels　of　biogenic　amines.　The　composition　of　volatile　flavor　components　of　Hongqu　rice　wine　brewed　by　different　fermentation　starters　(Gutian　Qu　and　Wuyi　Qu)　was　obviously　different.　Among　them,　ethyl　acetate,　isobutanol,　3-methylbutan-1-ol,　ethyl　decanoate,　ethyl　palmitate,　ethyl　oleate,　nonanoic　acid,　4-ethylguaiacol,　5-pentyldihydro-2(3H)-furanone,　ethyl　acetate,　n-decanoic　acid　etc.　were　identified　as　the　characteristic　aroma-active　compounds　between　GT　and　WY.　Microbiome　analysis　based　on　high-throughput　sequencing　of　full-length　16S　rDNA/ITS-5.8S　rDNA　amplicons　revealed　that　Lactococcus,　Leuconostoc,　Pseudomonas,　Serratia,　Enterobacter,　Weissella,　Saccharomyces,　Monascus　and　Candida　were　the　predominant　microbial　genera　during　the　traditional　production　of　GT,　while　Lactococcus,　Lactobacillus,　Leuconostoc,　Enterobacter,　Kozakia,　Weissella,　Klebsiella,　Cronobacter,　Saccharomyces,　Millerozyma,　Monascus,　Talaromyces　and　Meyerozyma　were　the　predominant　microbial　genera　in　the　traditional　fermentation　of　WY.　Correlation　analysis　revealed　that　Lactobacillus　showed　significant　positive　correlations　with　most　of　the　characteristic　volatile　flavor　components　and　biogenic　amines.　Furthermore,　bioinformatical　analysis　based　on　PICRUSt　revealed　that　microbial　enzymes　related　to　biogenic　amines　synthesis　were　more　abundant　in　GT　than　those　in　WY,　and　the　enzymes　responsible　for　the　degradation　of　biogenic　amines　were　less　abundant　in　GT　than　those　in　WY.　Collectively,　this　study　provides　important　scientific　data　for　enhancing　the　flavor　quality　of　Hongqu　rice　wine,　and　lays　a　solid　foundation　for　the　healthy　and　sustainable　development　of　Hongqu　rice　wine　industry.　©　2023　Elsevier　Ltd