Are refurbished Canon lenses typically pretty "old"?

I just bought a refurbished 24-70L f2.8 and it shows the date as August 2013. Just got it and looked over the entire lens/glass and can't find even a tiny speck anywhere on it. Only taken a few pics but seems to work perfectly.

As I mentioned in previous such threads, I do not believe Canon really rigorously inspects these refurb lenses. I had a few that I returned because of issues that should have been caught if they had been inspected as they supposedly do. I have also received a refurb lens with smudges on the front element, but usually that is just cosmetic. It's when stuff happens like there is a hair inside the lens or there is a scratch on an element that causes me to question if they really inspect these things. But if the price is right and you get a good one, you can get a pretty nice deal.