## 1 Introduction  
Chinese bayberry (_Myrica rubra_ [PERSON] and Zucc.) is an important fruit tree widely planted in the east and south regions of China [1]. Its fruits have an attractive color, a unique flavor, and are known for their various biological benefits [2; 3; 4; 5]. The tree matures from June to July, with the ripening period lasting only about 30 days. The fruit is highly prone to damage from mechanical forces, and its postharvest shelf life is limited to just two days at 20 \({}^{\circ}\)C or less than 7 days at 4 \({}^{\circ}\)C [6], making it challenging for long-term storage and transportation [7]. To deal with a large quantity of fruit ripening in a short period and to extend the consumption time, additional processing is often necessary. The main products made from Chinese bayberry fruit include dried fruit, preserved fruit, earned fruit, fruit juice, and alcoholic beverages [8; 9].  
There are typically two methods for making alcoholic beverages from Chinese bayberry. The first is to produce fermented bayberry wine (FBW) by fermenting the fruit must or juice with or without yeast inoculation [10]. The second method is to create a blended alcoholic beverage, known as integrated bayberry wine (IBW), by either incorporating whole fruits or adding fruit juice to crude fermented wine, distilled alcoholic spirits, or edible alcohol. Due to the substantial differences in the brewing processes of fermented wine and integrated wine, which can involve very different technical approaches, it is likely that their flavor profiles will vary significantly.  
There have been numerous studies on the determination of fruit wine flavors [11]. Fermented fruit wine obtains its flavors from the materials used, such as fruit juice or whole fruits, as well as the fermentation process [12]. The final aroma and flavor profile of a fermented fruit wine is heavily influenced by all aspects of pre-fermentative treatments, the fermentation process, and post-fermentation treatments, including yeast strains, the fermentation process, and maturation strategies [13]. In general, fermentation-derived volatiles make up the majority of the total aroma composition of wine [11]. On the other hand, the wine production process extracts color and flavor components from fruit-derived materials. For example, the color of red wines comes from anthocyanin pigments found in the skins of dark-colored grapes [14]. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been few studies on the flavor profiles and qualities of IBW. Thus, it was deemed necessary to evaluate the flavor characteristics of IBW and compare them to FBW.  
The objective of the current study was to identify the distinct aroma and flavor profiles, as well as the physical and chemical properties, of IBW and FBW. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the impact of brewing methods on the taste of the alcoholic beverage and to investigate the possible reasons and mechanisms behind the differences. The findings of this study can provide valuable information for the development of new brewing methods, as well as the optimization of existing ones. The results of the study can also provide a better understanding of the factors and the potential corresponding mechanisms that influence the aroma and flavor profiles of fruit wine.