New Deck - Concerns with Samples

I appreciate your website and have learned allot. My deck is two years old and is finally ready for stain. I obtained stain samples last year and applied them to scraps from the deck. They were TWP 101 Cedertone, TWP 102 Redwood, and TWP 116 Rustic. I didn't get a nice rich color until I applied 3 coats over a couple of days time. I realize the scraps though left outdoors prior to staining were not actually stain ready and I used a 75 cent brush. My understanding is you recommend only 1 coat for new decks so I'm concerned about the final appearance. I live in western KY and plan to pressure wash the deck and use the cleaner brightener. Which product should I use, what is the best way to apply it and how many coats should I apply?